ISSUE 13
JUNE/JULY 1983
VOLUME V, ISSUE 3
MIDNITE
SOFTWARE GAZETTE
The
PAPER
A BI-MONTHLY JOURNAL OF NOTES, REVIEWS AND ARTICLES
.•.■.■.■.■.v.v.v.v.v.v,
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•.•.•,:::w,;::w.;.
^^
The First Independent U.S. Magazine for
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Jerry Key, 151 Flint Ridge Dr., Gahanna OH 43230
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The Midnite/PAPER
THE MIDNITE XPRESS NOTES
I
by Jim Strasma
CHURCH TELEPHONE EXPERIMENT ;
Anyone dying to reach the Strasmas via the SOURCE now may. (Reach us, that
is.) I'm participating in a 3 month experiment of United Methodist
Communications using NEWSNET and the SOURCE to speed communication within the
denomination. My Source "name" is STS 051. Since I'm only likely to check my
electronic mail a couple of times a week, truly urgent messages should still be
dialed direct and left on our answering machine if I'm not around.
HELP FOR READERS:
Whenever possible, our reviews contain several facts to help you evaluate
products. These include: the address of the company (printed at the end of each
issue under Resources), required equipment, usual price to the nearest dollar,
type of copy protection (if any), and warranty. If a product interests you, but
you aren't sure about buying it, see if your local dealer will demonstrate it to
you. If not, write the company directly. Some offer demo disks or videotapes
that show the product's features, while others sell just the manual. If you
can't understand the manual, don't buy the product. If your equipment is
unusual, ask the company to recommend the proper version for your needs. You can
also judge service by how quickly the company responds to your letter.
Pay attention to warranty and support policies; you may need them later. In
Midni te we list four levels of warranty. Best is a "full warranty". This means
the company stands behind the product. Next is a "limited warranty"; pay
attention to what isn' t covered. If a product says nothing about a warranty, we
list it as "no warranty". Here you are slightly covered by laws setting minimum
standards for salable products. Last and worst (and proliferating) is the
"anti-warranty". Each says, in varying legalese, "You bought it. It's yours."
We are constantly amazed that otherwise-reputable companies will offer less
protection to the customer than accompanies a used car, and still more amazed
when customers shell out over $1000 without even a promise to replace worn-out
diskettes. One other important bit of advice: never pay in full for an unseen
product you cannot afford to lose. The recent bankruptcy of the "CompuPlus"
chain in California left thousands of people out their entire "paid in full"
deposits on Apple computers. If the company is local, a fractional deposit on
special or back orders should be adequate. If buying by mail, C.O.D. is a good
way to order from companies you don't know, and only costs a bit more.
HELP FOR COMPANIES :
During the past week I heard about three companies unhappy with reviews of
their products in M idni te . A columnist in another magazine told me about one
company. I received letters directly froia company officers of the other two
companies. The letters impressed me greatly, because both companies felt their
products had improved, and enclosed updated versions to prove it. I appreciated
the forthright, but polite and non-threatening tone in both letters. One company
also showed the review to customers and suggested they write a second opinion;
two did, which is the best response of all. After all, our reviews are only one
person's opinion, and inevitably flawed. We still try to print at least excerpts
from all signed independent reviews we receive.
The Midnite/PAPER
#13 June-July 1983
The second company's product showed great improvement, but still had
important faults. Inspired by their effort to clear their name, I suggested
further essential improvements, and delayed the requested review update until
they can respond. For a company with a thick enough skin to endure a critique,
this amounts to free consultation. Whatever you may feel when a reviewer
torpedoes your latest, Midni te wants you to succeed — with a first-rate product.
There is a natural temptation, when your program is unfavorably reviewed, to
get even--by witholding ads, dealer orders, or a subscription. But Hell hath no
fury like editors on a rampage. By witholding ads, you take away whatever
incentive the magazine had to get along with you, as well as the ad revenue that
would allow them to check with you about questionable aspects of your product. I
doubt it was accidental that Commodore got little favorable mention in the U.S.
press until it placed ads in industry magazines.
There's no way to keep your product from being reviewed in Midni te ; our
readers see and write about everything. Therefore, do what you can to make the
experience wholesome. If the product isn't good, don't sell it! If you fear a
review will come from an unhappy customer, send us a review copy. If you wish
we'd call before printing negative reviews, suggest that we call you collect with
any questions. If the copy is a prototype, or has preliminary documentation, say
so. Give special attention to your protection methods and warranty. No business
program will get a fully favorable review unless it includes a way to make at
least one archival copy. Even on games, our reviewers are distinctly nervous
about $50 programs that can't be copied and have no media warranty. If you won't
stand behind your product, why should we?
I I Advertising Notes I
COMMODORE DOGGY BAG :
The Allen Products Company has announced it will give away 1,100 Commodore
computers to promote its Alpo dog food products. Commodore 64 computers will be
awarded to 100 grand prize winners during the Alpo "Lucky Dog" Supergame, while
1000 first place winners will receive Commodore VIC 20 computers. - Computer
Retai ler
RESPONSE TO ADVERTISING WITH COMPUTE 1 :
I read with interest your notes on getting advertising with Compute ! This
does not appear to be uncommon. For many years I have been an audio enthusiast.
Audio , probably one of the largest audio magazines would not accept advertising
from any of the smaller publications, many of which far outshone it in content,
just as the M/P outshines Compute 1 -Gordon Watson
REBUTTAL TO COMMENTS ON SPECTAVIDEO COMPARISON AD :
I wanted to offer a long-winded rebuttal to your comments on the
Spectravideo comparison ad. [He did, too. -ED]
S-V shouldn't feel too bad. Everyone makes those kinds of mistakes in their
comparison ads. Why, the Commodore himself has been known to tell a fib now and
then.... Considering the real differences between home micros, it is too bad
that the marketing people at most computer companies don't seem to know enough
about computers to play up the advantages of their machines, rather than making
some up. The only exception I have seen is the recent Commodore ad, comparing
the prices of their peripherals with those of Atari and TI. It was the first
such ad that I thought was completely accurate and fair, stressing a real
advantage rather than trumping one up. -Sheldon Leemon
The Midnite/PAPER 2 #13 June-July 1983
by Ellen Strasma
TPUG COPY SESSION :
JS has provided librarian Brent Anderson with 51 diskettes from the TPUG
copy session May 14-15, 1983. Write Brent for a listing of the new diskettes,
and be sure to specify which machine you use. The diskettes are divided into
groups, by type of computer (CBM/PET, 64, VIC or SuperPET) . -ES
MAIL LIST 1541 DISKETTE :
The very popular Bennett's MAIL LIST 4040 program has finally been converted
to the 64" Now entitled MAIL LIST 1541, it will be available on diskette July 1,
1983, for $15 from Jim Strasma, 1238 Richland Av. , Lincoln IL 62656. For
development costs, we ask $5 extra for each additional copy you will make for
others. -ES
UNASSEMBLER :
Using [JS's] UN-ASSEMBLER program has been the single most educational
experience I had all [last] year! I literally tripled my knowledge of assembly
language in a week's time, simply by analyzing various programs that I had laying
around. Once again, congratulations on an excellent program. Commodore should
include it as a standard accessory with their assembler package! [It is included
in the ATUG library] -Thomas Henry
I
I
COMAL Notes
by Len Lindsay
I have just returned from my trip to Denmark (COMAL ' s "birthplace") and then
to England, to help clarify coming implementations and plans for COMAL.
CBM COMAL VERSION FOR THE COMMODORE 64 ;
It looks like negotiations are finally being concluded between UniComal (the
CBM COMAL people, formerly with Instrutek) and Commodore UK on the CBM COMAL
version for the Commodore 64. We can expect to see a disk-loaded COMAL (version
0.12) about 9/1983, and a 64K! plug-in cartridge (version 2.00) about 12/1983. A
CBM COMAL version 2.00 (in 10 EPROMs) will be available in late fall, as an
update for the COMAL ROM board or new COMBI board. The COMBI board should be
available this fall, with 128K of RAM, a REAL TIME clock/calendar, and CBM COMAL
in EPROM. Not only can its RAM memory exactly duplicate the Commodore 64K
expansion board (at about the same cost), but also use its extra memory
automatically to upgrade ANY PET or CBM model (except BASIC 1.0) to a 32K/96K
machine. For a bit more, the real time clock and CBM COMAL in EPROM is included.
The COMAL system uses the extra 128K as a "virtual memory" system, transparent to
the user/programmer, via external procedures and functions.
VERSIONS AND STANDARDS BEING SET :
COMAL is already used in schools in ENGLAND, IRELAND, and DENMARK, In
addition to the CBM version, there is a version for the APPLE II, RC PICCOLO, and
CP/M with a second CP/M version expected this fall.
In June, the COMAL Standardization Group will have its second meeting. They
are preparing a proposal for a standard COMAL for the ISO (International
The Midnite/PAPER
#13 June-July 1983
standards Organization). This is the same route PASCAL took, attempting to bridge
its many implementation differences.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS IN DENMARK :
While in Denmark, I visited an airport controlled by two Commodore computers
and CBM COMAL. The two computers "talk" back and forth to monitor all weather
conditions via sensors placed in various field locations. The airport had first
tried BASIC to control the computer, but found it much too slow. With the much
faster COMAL system, the airport is the first in Scandinavia to let planes land
with zero visibility — quite an accomplishment! I also visited three businesses
happily using CBM COMAL in industrial control, because it was so easy to write
and maintain their programs. One COMAL system relied on the CBM Datasette,
instead of a disk drive. The controlling PET computer had COMAL in ROM, and only
needed to load one program at the start of the day.
U.S. COMMODORE SOFTWARE DISCOVERS COMAL :
Commodore's new Software Director discovered CBM COMAL at the Hanover
Computer Show, and wanted to know why nobody told him about this fantastic new
language... Perhaps COMAL may now be supported in the US by Commodore. Will
home computing take another giant step forward this fall? The college in St.
Cloud, Minnesota has reportedly already ordered 20 Commodore 64 computers WITH
COMAL Cartridges (supposedly even with a part number).
MORE USER GROUP AND MAGAZINE SUPPORT :
A third COMAL journal now exists, from Ireland. Another COMAL User Group
exists in Alberta Canada, in addition to the COMAL subgroup in Las Vegas. I
still am trying to get either a diskette or cartridge copy of COMAL for the 64,
so that I can test 8K of Commodore 64 control procedures I've already written.
If you are interested in CBM COMAL on diskette or EPROM, or in any of the 4
COMAL books, the COMAL INTEREST GROUP can help you. (See their ad.)
by Jerry Key
MAKING COMMODORE 64 PROGRAMS WORK ON THE PET OR CBM:
to load, list.
The process was
programs run on
that they can be
Jan Mathis reported having problems with the method used
modify and save to tape or disk, 64 programs using the PET/CBM.
written to use the PET/CBM as a tool for the 64, not to make 64
the PET/CBM. If you want to get 64 programs into the PET/CBM so
used on the PET/CBM (with modifications), then it's a new ballgame. There are a
number of ways to do this. Remember, these methods apply only to BASIC programs.
[If you have no utility programs (to extend BASIC or to extend the monitor),
then look at the PET to VIC or 64 update below-ED]
The first method is with an extended BASIC utility, such as SYSRES (a
commercial program) or BASIC AID (in the Public Domain). With SYSRES, you need
only merge the program from disk (as opposed to load) into blank memory (new
first). It's then stored at the normal PET/CBM
Modify, save, or whatever, as you would normally
AID, find the first line number of the program that
number is above 0. Reset the machine and enter:
REM ANYTHING
What you use doesn't matter, as long as you have
line number less than the starting line number in the program to be merged. Then
merge the program, delete the line first entered and type LIST. Now it should be
at the normal PET/CBM address to do with as you desire. If you save this program
to diskette, it can now be loaded in the PET/CBM, 64 or VIC, because the
address and needs no pokes,
treat a program. With BASIC
uses pokes, and make sure the
single line program with a
The Midnite/PAPER
#13 June-July 1983
relocating loaders on the 64 and VIC don't care what the save address was on a
standard command of ' LOAD"name" , 8 ' . [NOTE: However, if you do not use
' LOAD"name" , 8 , 1 ' on the VIC or 64, then machine language programs will be loaded
at the start of BASIC, not where they might normally go.]
Another way to treat 64 BASIC programs on the PET/CBM is with an extended
monitor like SUPERMON or MICROMON (both in the Public Domain). Load a version of
SUPERMON/MICROMON that resides in high memory.
1) Type NEW.
2) Load the 64 program you want to work on.
3) Type SYS4 .
4) At the . prompt, type M 002A 002A (rtn). The first two double
characters after the 002A should be noted in reverse order (8a 10 is 108A) .
5) Type either G (SUPERMON/MICROMON address), or X and SYS the address.
6) Now type T 0801 (address noted above) 0401, such as T 0801 108A 0401.
7) Type G B4b6. You may return to the monitor or BASIC with a syntax
error, but no matter, the work is done and the program is relocated at the normal
PET/CBM addresses. The G B4b6 rechains the forward pointers to tidy it all up.
If you do not have BASIC AID or one of the similar utilities, see your local
user group for a copy of the HELP DISK or get a copy from ATUG. The instructions
for its use are on the diskette. -JK
PET TO VIC OR 64 UPDATE :
Here is an update and explanation of the program Dan Gauwitz uses to load
VIC or 64 programs into a CBM or PET machine. Just load this program into your
CBM or PET computer. When the screen instructions say so, press the play button
on the cassette to load the VIC or 64 program. The program takes care of
everything else.
20 for j=0 to 2: rem puts three zeros at start of program
30 : poke4096+j,0: rem for VIC (+3K) start address
40 : poke4608+j , 0: rem for VIC+8K expander start address
50 : poke2048 + j , 0: rem for 64 start address
60 next
70 print" [clr] [rvs] [down] "tab (20) "VIC or 64 to CBM/PET"
80 print" [home] [03 down] load"
90 print" [08 down] poke 41,16":rem for VIC with 3K expander
100 print" [02 down] list"
110 print" [02 down] poke 41,18":rem for a VIC with 8K expansion or more
120 print" [02 down] list"
130 print"[02 down] poke 41,8":rem for a 64
140 print" [02 down] list [home]"
150 for i=623 to 625
160 : poke i,145:rem necessary cursor ups
170 next
180 for i=626 to 632:rem input buffer
190 : pokei,13:rem carriage return
200 next
210 pokel58, 9: new: rem number of characters in buffer
Now you can either modify the program to work on the PET or CBM before running
it.-DG & ES
/ J
^ ^ ^
5 A ^
ON A CLcAR hlSC, yovCAtO 5eeK
The Midnite/PAPER 5 #13 June-July 1983
0^ J-
I I Commodore 64 Notes I I
by Ken Penny
The Adventures of Max Maxwell
DAY 5: Interface with a What?
Max Maxwell tests his computer-controlled door lock one more time,
watching the bolt slide smoothly into place at his command. Called
outside to help his wife with the groceries, he hears the bolt engage
behind him, and turns to see his neighbor adjusting his garage door
opener. . . .
THE WORLD ON A WIRE ...
Whenever someone asks me, "Can my computer talk to a 'blank'," the answer is
always "yes." That's the nice thing about computers: anything is possible.
However, I'm usually out of earshot by the time they ask "How?" Without getting
too technical, there are several ways to attach your computer to the wire that
connects you to the world waiting on the other end. First, a question:
DOES IT TALK RS-232?
The second easiest method of interfacing with the real world is through the
RS-232 port. (I'll write about the easiest method next issue.) The VIC and the
64 both output 5 volt inverted RS-232 directly from the user port. The CBM
RS-232 cartridge will invert and increase the voltages, giving true RS-232. Then
you just have your software open a channel to device 2 and start talking. This
is all covered very well in the VIC Programmer's Reference Guide , but watch out.
There are some real problems and challenges with the RS-232 operation.
THINGS IT DOESN'T DO
For example, full duplex operation is nearly impossible; the port will not
transmit and receive data at the same time. If a character comes in while you
are sending data, the timing will mess up, and neither will work properly.
Likewise with RS-232 and disk or printer operations; timing on the serial bus is
so critical that it takes over the clock and won't let characters be received.
One other thing you may want to do is change some characteristics of the
RS-232 channel after a program is running, such as setting the parity or the baud
rate. It can't be done on the fly. You must close the current channel and
reopen it with the new parameters. Since this operation defines a buffer area at
the top of RAM, it does a CLR, erasing all your variables.
THINGS IT DOES DIFFERENTLY
The RS-232 communication channel is also a bit confusing in its protocol and
quite different from other channels that you might open. For example, when you
do a GET command from a disk, cassette or other such device, and there are no
characters waiting, the (status) variable ST becomes 2. This is a good way to
tell if you got anything.
The RS-232 channel does it differently. In both the VIC and 64, the RS-232
status is stored in a different place: hex location $0297. Testing the variable
ST will read it, but not as a 2, unless the buffer overflows. If that occurs,
you've lost it all. If there are no characters waiting, the 64 will return a
status 8. The VIC will return a status in either case; you have to test the
character to see if one was received. Thus, the easiest programming method (get
a character and test its validity) doesn't work well, especially in machine
language. Instead, you must test the input buffer pointer and input buffer index
to see if they match. If they don't, there must be a character there.
The Midnite/PAPER 6 #13 June-July 1983
THINGS IT WILL DO
Luckily, Commodore hasn't been entirely asleep. The first Kernal ROM, the
-01 ROM, had a problem with the last buffer full of characters: it didn't always
get sent. The -02 Kernal ROM also fixes that.
The RS-232 port will talk in many configurations, up to 19200 baud, and with
options for parity, mark/space and word length. It's a quite versatle port,
capable of matching the requirements of most anything you want to talk to.
As the locksmith presents his bill, he notices the 64, faintly
chuckling in the corner of the computer room. A light pops into Max's
eyes, deals are made, and the locksmith leaves, paid in full with a
copy of Max's latest protected software, due for some scrutiny on the
locksmith's 64
And From Our Readers ;
CASSETTE FILE PROBLEMS :
I am having a problem with my Commodore 64 and my 1541 disk drive. I got
very little satisfaction when I discussed the problem over the phone with
Commodore at Wayne [PA]. I can create a short test program to write files onto a
cassette tape and then read them back again. It works fine, unti 1 I run the
program while the disk drive is on. Under that circumstance, I can still write
files to the cassette, but if I try to read a file from the cassette, I get a
"string too long" error indicating the computer does not see the delimiter. If I
run the identical program again with the disk drive off, it works perfectly. I
can even read files that were written when the disk was on. I've tried all the
various delimiters without success. -Bi 11 Batcher
REPLY : The simplest answer is that your cassette drive may be too close to
your disk drive, causing data to be lost or altered when saved. The cassette
drive is very sensitive to any electrical interference, whether from the TV, disk
drive, power supply or phone. If that isn't the problem, we don't know the
solution - yet.-ES
DON'T LIKE BLUE ON BLUE START UP COLOR? :
For those of you with Commodore 64's and disk drives who don't like the
blue-on-blue start up color combination, why not put the color change commands in
the 'boot' program of your DOS Wedge? Since I like a gray screen, I have added
the following line to my C-64 WEDGE program.
3 POKE 53281, 12:P0KE 53280 , 15: POKE 646,11 -JKJ ( OCCUG Newsletter )
GARBAGE COLLECTION PROBLEMS :
There seems to be a serious problem with garbage collection on the 64.
Programs can hang up for 2 to 10 minutes waiting for garbage collection. WARNING
- Don ' t use FRE(0) in your program, especially if your program uses lots of
strings (as mine do) !!! Every call for FRE(0) can take from 2 to 10 minutes to
finish. Screen freezes, keyboard locks, even the RESTORE key doesn't work.
Quick power-down and power-up also doesn't work; you must wait several seconds
before turning the computer back on, re-loading the program, and taking out all
of the FRE(0) calls from your program! -Bill Brown
"eSAVE":
There were some comments about losing programs using "@SAVE." I've found
the Save/Replace program on the 64 to be destructive. In fact, I have a short
program for compounding interest that gets wiped out so often I put it on discs
under three different names trying to preserve it! But it sometimes goes with
the regular SAVE. -Gerald T. Smith
REPLY : Contrary to earlier advice, I now find my results are better on my
1541 if I format my diskettes on a 4040, not the 1541. Our inside information
The Midnite/PAPER 7 #13 June-July 1983
suggests a
@SAVE, but
1541, that works at all well is a rare
a shoddy Japanese disk drive mechanism.
gem, but the problem isn't the
WHAT IS,
Thanks to Ken Penny for clarifying the situation on the -02 ROM. My
gratitude would be even greater if I knew what an RF box was and looked like, or
a "regulator" and a "heat sink." I suppose getting things down to my
"primary-grade" level would destroy Midnite's character - though a lot of your
new subscribers may share my ignorance. -Gerald T. Smith
«l«A
CA». «CJt,
cntx
(•HP
RF BOX
REGULATOR
HEAT SINK
[
I
Commodore Notes
T
3
CES REPORT ;
The big Commodore news at the Chicago Summer Consumer Electronics Show,
still in progress as this issue went to press, was prices. Dealer costs on
virtually everything Commodore sells have been slashed drastically in the past
month, with the notable exception of VIC equipment. Commodore brought their
large "Clipper" ship to the show, full of products and programs. The SX-64
portable 64 system was still partly hand-built, but didn't look it. It may sell
for $800, including 1 disk and a color monitor. The 1526 printer is an upgraded
4023 for the VIC and 64. The 1560 auto-dial, auto answer di rect-connect VIC
modem looked finished, as did the piano keyboard, the digi-drums and the graphics
tablet. The "B" was there, in a corner, as if we should forget about it.
Lots of 64 software was shown working, and VERY reasonably priced. The
MANAGER, one of the best CBM databases, has been greatly enhanced, and will sell
for one-fifth the current price. MAGIC DESK is a mini-LISA, with joystick
directed objects controlling usual office functions - mostly for beginners, but
VERY useful to them. SIMON BASIC, PILOT, LOGO, and several new games were shown,
along with renamed 64 versions of MACTERM, Info-Designs' accounting software and
CALC RESULT. All are slated for price reductions under the Commodore label.
The weakest link was the sales pitch. No one gave even retail prices to the
dealer I was with, nor did anyone ask him for an order, or accompany him around
the boat. On the other hand, the half hour ride to the boat kept him from seeing
any other brands.
Quoteable Quotes
STOCK IN COMMODORE :
"...had you invested $1,000 in Commodore stock in 1974, it would be worth
nearly $700,000 today. Adjusted for stock splits, the stock went from a low of
12 1/2 cents in 1974 to a high of 86 1/4 this year."- W5YI report, April 1, 1983
The Midnite/PAPER
#13 June-July 1983
c
I
Competitors Notes
ATARI ( tm) :
At CES, Atari introduced a complete new line, replacing all existing models
for Christmas. Most impressive to me was a $350 letter-quality printer the size
of a shoe box. The new top model, the 1400XD had a built-in disk, modem and
voice synthesizer.
COLECO (tm) :
Coleco drew a lot of attention at CES with Adam, a new $600 (retail!)
computer that includes 80K RAM, a real keyboard, a stringy-floppy cassette, a
daisy-wheel printer, built-in word processing and the ability to run all Coleco
game cartridges.
ENTEX (tm) :
Entex is promoting a $125 add-on for video game machines that makes them
into a Z80 computer with 8K BASIC and 2K RAM. Sheldon Leemon wonders who will
buy it, when complete VIC's sell for well under its price.
IBM (tm) :
John Dvorzak of Inf oworld expects IBM to do three things about the PC within
two years: bring out its own software for it, dropping existing royalty
arrangements; replace existing dealers with its own stores; and fiddle with its
hardware enough that outside products won't work with it. Dvorzak also asks,
"Why did I hear a rumor that Apple will ship no Lisas in 1983?
MATTELL (tm) :
The Mattell Aquarius, with its rubber duckie keyboard didn't attract much
praise at CES. (Neither did I, when I used it to call the Commodore Information
Network. )
OSBORNE (tm) :
Adam Osborne has unveiled the EXECUTIVE, a new transportable. The major
change is a barely-larger 7" amber screen with 80 columns. Disks are half-height
and double-density, and memory has been increased to 128K. A further upgrade is
promised for Fall, to give the new model an 8088 and MSDOS, for IBM "PC"
compatibility. All the software of the earlier model is retained, plus PERSONAL
PEARL (a program generator) , UCSD PASCAL, and a promised terminal package. The
new model will cost $2500 with Z80 plus CP/M+, and $3200 with an 8088 plus MSDOS.
that had real keys; however.
SPECTRAVIDEO (tm) :
Spectravideo was at CES with a new model 328
it lacked the built-in joystick of the model 318.
TRS-80 (tm) :
Radio Shack is on the move again. This time it's the TRS-80 Model 4. A
proper model 3, it abandons the shoddy grey plastic Tandy case, and adds a
badly-needed 80 column display, numeric keypad, RS232 port, parallel port, and
print spooler. It comes with 64K of memory (expandable to 128K) , LDOS (much
better than their TRSDOS) , and a 4MH Z80 processor. At $2000, it is cheaper,
faster and likely better than the 3. Tandy includes a spare ROM that lets the 4
function identically to the Model 3, and emulate the old Model 1, even reading
and writing its diskettes. Except for the black and white screen, this new model
is a jewel, unlike a highly forgetable little rubber-duckie keyboard computer
Tandy released about the same time.-JS
The Midnite/PAPER
#13 June-July 1983
c
Copyright Notes
)
COPYRIGHT STATUS ON
UPGRADE ON ROM'S ;
I think you have gone
over it before, but what
is the Copyright status on
upgrade ROM's? The old 28
pin ROM's are hard to find
now, so I was considering
making a wire wrap board
to use 2716's containing
the upgrade ROM contents.
The first consideration
though is to remain within
the law. -Dan Kapsch
REPLY : Commodore
and/or Microsoft owns the
copyright on upgrade
ROM's. Better Solutions
[see M/P #ll] sells a BASIC
4.0 upgrade board for your
machine. BASIC 4.0 itself
costs about $50 from
Commodore.
c
C-64/VIC 20/PET/CBM OWNERS
WALLBANGER - Blast your way through the dodge'm, blasfm,
and attack modes. If you destroy the bouncing balls before they destroy
you, the walls close in for the next round. WALLBANGER is written in
machine language, has great sound, and encourages complex strategies.
CASS/5K/VIC 20
ALL 40/80 COLUMN PETS SCBMS (Includes Shipping/Handling) S19.9S
nuif^LTCRi r*UAec [calif, res, add 6% sales tax]
CMICIvEIV CHASE - Help your hapless hen avoid hungry
chicken hawks, sneaky coyotes, and fiendish zompys. If your chicken gets
into trouble, "hyper-hen" to a new spot on the maze. If your chicken
travels the entire maze, you advance to the next level where the action is
faster and the predators more numerous. Hi-res graphics, great sounds,
and machine language help make CHICKEN CHASE a hilarious fun-filled
game for the whole family.
C-E4/CASS/5K/VIC 20 (Includes Shipping/Handling) S19.95
r%r% n r>-rr> n n [calif res. add 6% sales tax)
ROADTOAD - Hop your toad across 5 lanes of traffic, avoid
deadly snakes, and dodge the dreaded toad-eaters. Cross a raging river
full of logs, turtles, alligators, and park your toad in the safety of a harbor
Each time you park 5 toads, you enter a tougher level where the action is
faster and the toad-eaters are more numerous. ROADTOAD is written in
machine language and uses high resolution graphics. The sound effects are
excellent and you can use a joystick or the keyboard to control your toad.
C-64/CASS/5K/VIC so (Includes Shipping/Handling) S1 9.95
[CALIF. RES. ADD 6% SALES TAX)
^,,3P,, IMIBBLES& BITS, INC. ^^,,^ ,^^
FREE P.O. BOX 2044 FREE
Catalog ORCUTT, CA 93455 Catalog
C-64/VIC 20/PET/CBM OWNERS
Dealer Notes
I
)
CHUCKLE OF THE MONTH :
■'They've been reading very positive reviews about us. We were endorse
review in Compute ! magazine in April and will receive another glowing rev
Commander in May. "-Quick Brown Fox press release for the new '64 version, s
failing to mention another review...
COMMENT: There is no connection at all between Foxfire Sy
FOX 20 , and either the comp
originators of the nifty VIC cassette magazine, .. v^^. ^^ , ^..^ ^^^,,^^ ^^^ v,^...^
the program called QUICK BROWN FOX. Foxfire Systems feels they have prior
to the fox image, and definitely don't appreciate being confused with the
Brown Fox company. Angela Reiser of Foxfire Systems reports that at the
West Coast Computer Faire, people refused to believe Foxfire Systems and
magazine have nothing to do with it. (Believe it. There's no connection.)
the
board and exp
the 64 version for review
Look forward to a full verdict next time.
d in a
iew in
omehow
stems,
any or
claim
Quick
recent
FO X 20
d only
dapter
ending
CREDIT CARD PURCHASES :
Credit card purchases in which the customer is dissatisfied with product
performance do not have to be paid pending resolution of dissatisfaction ONLY ON
PURCHASES MADE WITHIN THE STATE OR WITHIN 100 MILES OF THE PURCHASER'S RESIDENCE.
This will not help most of us in buying computer products by mail. -Jeff Andrews
(OCCUG Newsletter)
The Midnite/PAPER
10
#13 June-July 1983
SHOPPING AT MICRO-PACE, CHAMPAIGN^ IL :
I especially look forward to my annual June trip to Champaign, IL to visit
my mother-in-law because I will be able to shop Micro-Pace. Computer Country
here lost total interest in the 64 when the discounters began selling it - and
never carried much of anything for it, anyway. -Gerald Smith (Florissant MO)
MEIZNER IN THE NEWS ;
It's always fun for me to
read about our readers, and
especially to "see" them in a
photo after chatting only by
phone. Lilly Toback, pictured
at right, is one of our
subscribers and dealers, and
also, as she likes to remind
me, "the largest Commodore
dealer in New York City." The
photo is from the April issue
of Computer Retailer , which
interviewed Lilly at some
length on the subject of
computer supplies. New Yorkers
in need of paper, ribbons or
diskettes will find a wide
choice at her Meizner Business
Systems, along with the current
issue of Midnite.
SCHOOL COURSEWARE JOURNAL :
[I've had] some severe problems .. .wi th the School Courseware Journal out of
California. I sent them a check for a sample disk in November, which they cashed
right away. I called them (by very long distance!) in January, February and
March to find out why I hadn't received my disk and documentation.
Excuse #1 - They were re-organizing their efforts (bankruptcy?), but would
send out my order that day.
Excuse #2 - A month later; they had to wait for reprinting of the PET
documentation. I said
send it out that day.
Excuse #3- A month later still; there
a photocopy would be okay, so they replied that they would
had been some changes in staff, but my
order would be shipped out that day.
My School Courseware Journal finally
weeks
after my check was cancelled. In
flyers advertising their product at about
in November. Warn your readers to beware of this company . -Bi 11 Brown
arrived last week [May] , almost 18
the interim, they have sent out more
50% higher price than what I had seen
SOFTWARE SAMPLER (tm)
As author of the PETpourri column in Microcomputing magazine I receive many
letters each month with various questions on Commodore systems. Lately I've been
getting requests for more information on what software is available and where
people can write for catalogs. Many computerists do not live near a computer
store where they can go to see what programs are available and how they run.
To alleviate the problem, I'm assembling a collection of sample programs
from leading companies, called the SOFTWARE SAMPLER (tm). The programs will be
under 16K long and grouped by system type, with separate diskettes for PET/CBM,
Commodore 64, VIC 20, and future Commodore systems. The diskettes will be
available in both 4040 and 8050 format, and will be mailed, at a nominal cost to
cover reproduction and handling fees. When more than one program is submitted by
a single company, the programs will be put on separate sampler diskettes for more
variety. If your company would like to participate, please write as soon as
possible. -Robert W. Baker, BAKER ENTERPRISES, 15 Windsor Dr., Atco NJ 08004
The Midnite/PAPER
11
#13 June-July 1983
QUESTION ; How do you get a publicity release published in the Midnite ?
ANSWER tl : Answer a "Wanted" question from our pages.
ANSWER #2 : Have a reputable company offer a discount to readers.
ADA 6410 RS232 INTERFACE :
CMC has just announced the ADA 6410,
for the 64's user port. Till June 30,
postpaid instead of the $79 retail price. It answers to device
cable, and comes with either a female or male
computer, has a 6
a bi-directional RS232 interface cable
user groups may order it for $60.30
2, is powered by
connector.
COMPUTER COVERS :
"Chief Cook & Bo ttlewasher " Pam Poirot of Countryside Upholstery, Rt. 2, Box
85, Golden City MO 64748, offers to make custom computer covers at low prices
(thanks to the low overhead of her rural location). A VIC cover, for example, is
$6.50 postpaid, in any of 19 colors. -JS
COMPUTER TABLES
Surrey Associates Inc., of 5 Surrey Rd., New Hyde Park NY 11040, offers user
groups a 30% discount on computer tables. -JS
SPRITE BUILDER :
Main Menu's president. Brad Goodspeed, reports SPRITE BUILDER is now
available to user groups on the same terms as to dealers, from $13-17 depending
on quantity. They are at Box 98005, Seattle WA 98188. How about a review?-JS
VIC 24K MEMORY EXPANDER :
Voice World (13055 Via Esperia, Del Mar CA 92014) is offering clubs a whole
10% discount on their 24K VIC memory expander so long as you buy 3, and send
details about your group. Looks like a good product; does anyone know?
AND IN THE TOLEDO OHIO AREA:
Club
Woodville
members get
Rd. , Oregon OH
10% off most
(691-7282)
items at: Video Computer World, 2223
ON RELATIVE RECORDS ON THE 8250 :
Rumor hath it that the 8250 has problems with relative records spanning both
sides of the disk. Jim Butterfield suggested once that the 8250 can take longer
going from track 77 of side 1 back to track 1 of side 2 than the CBM waits before
timing out. It's never happened on either our 8250 or the one at the college,
though, and both use huge relative files. If it's a problem, the timeout can be
defeated by poking location 1020 with anything other than 0.-JS
COPY-ALL CORRECTION FOR THE 1541:
To make the COPY/ALL program provided with your
properly, replace line 460-480 with the following:
460 PRINT N$;' ';T$(T9)
470 REM TO REPLACE/ELIMINATE THE OLD LINE
480 GET Z$ -(OCCUG Newsletter)
1541 disk drive work
The Midnite/PAPER
12
#13 June-July 1983
REPLY : You should be surprised, since the sentence
Commodore public domain education proqrams on some 5(
programs
about that!-ES
FURTHER COMMENTS : Bargain of the decade
domain software library offered by Commodore.
very high quality software which run on any CBM,
flabbergasted by how well the
was supposed to read 656
or so diskettes. Sorry
is in
instructor need fear using them
My eight-year-old son, Joel,
he's discovered the library. He
programs; he must solve simple math
is a good description of the public
The fifty disk program library has
PET, SuperPET or Commodore 64.
programs were written to allow school
e computer with a
how to respond to
proofed and self-documenting.
programs; ne must soive simpie macn prooiems to lex. cne coiupuut;
messages leading to evil master criminals and their hideout. The prog
insult the student for doing poorly (Joel's introduction to negative n
s progress. Kudos
Congratulations to the Canadian
strong competition for the PET now that
especially likes the "detective" style math
problems to let the computer "decode"
ram doesn ' t
gative numbers) . A
secret code at the end is the teacher's record of that student
to Commodore Canada for a job well done,
educational system and others for donating their work to Commodore. -Hank
Mroczkowski ( Hardcopy )
FOX 20 's CONTRACTION ACTION :
FOX-20 (Vol.2, Nov.) has a program called CONTRACTION ACTION which spiked a
lot of interest, and the results, a 100% on his spelling test, was pleasing to
[my son], as well as to Kathy, my wife, and to myself. I recommend it if you've
got a third grader you love. -Hank Mroczkowski ( Hardcopy )
AND ON THE VALUE OF ONE-TEACH-ANOTHER. .
The Adventures of Chip, Max's nephew
by Ted Spencer
I've read about my Uncle Max's exploits on a farout new machine called a 64
with great interest. Last Christmas, Uncle Max was trying to show my aunt how
she could use it in her classroom. Well, he was having trouble loading the
programs (he lost the manuals), so naturally he asked his nephew for help.
And what do you suppose happened? Lo and behold, not only did his nephew
(that's me!) finally learn about wedge commands (something I hadn't bothered to
learn on my own 8032), but also discovered a new language hiding on a diskette,
called VANILLA PILOT. In the meantime, my advice to all you "Chippers" out there
is to find someone you can tutor about computer use. You'll learn a lot faster.
And you'll feel very important, if you have an uncle like mine!
The Midnite/PAPER
13
#13 June-July 1983
gone
take
say,
in
Looks like we have a new type of review; more like a
to let owe you money. Unlike other reviews, these
Here are the current entrants in our
IL and St. Louis MO gives every
into hiding, ignoring both calls and letters.
send a revised agreement
not
vendors as buyers
* DATA PLUS, of Quincy
ignoring
warning list, of people
are as likely to protect
LOST department:
impression of having
JINI MICROSYSTEMS, after
us out of the collect
we' "
It is definite
GOLD INCH AM,
offering to
that would
d like to know if cucy ic ouj-j.^ sii±jj
it. It is definitely illegal for them to
* We've lost F.Q. "'-'■ '^ -"'-"'■" -^ -'---
find him (her?)
ion agency business, is ignoring us again. Needless to
they're still shipping copies of JINSAM with my JINSORT
llegal for them to do so, as of May 9, 1983.
* We've lost F.Q. GOLDINGHAM, whose check bounced as "unknown". Needle
say, we'd like to find him (her?) again.
* And finally, CHET LEWIS of Progress Computers, and his bouncing check
still out there ffomewhere. Thanks, TorPET, for pulling Chet's ad for us.-JS
Needless to
check, are
[
I
Modem Notes
Dy Tim Tremmel, SYSOP
Racine BBS: 414/554-9520
The Midnite/PAPER is
have any problems or
the BBS (414/554-9520)
front cover. If I can
someone else to answer.
your" magazine, and this column is for you. If you
questions, don't be afraid to write or call, either through
or voice (414/554-0156). My address is on the inside
t answer the question, it will be printed in Midni te , for
NEW BBS ;
MASSPET BB (617/8 24-4878), 7pm-9am M-F & 24 hours Sa/Su. Contact David Rogers,
VIC MODEM :
I received the following letter from Gary Greenberg of NY,
"The ads for the VIC MODEM say a modular phone
communications. This is not quite accurate. Apparently,
phones: some buttons push only half way,
I had one of the former types, causing my entries to be garbled
the screen, as well as garbling much of the transmission
customer service gave me two solutions: 1) Get the VIC
[which] hasn't reached the market yet (5/5/83). 2) Get a
phone with buttons that depress all the way down. Using the 2nd
problems disappeared."
push button
depressed fully,
when displayed on
received. Commodore's
1605 adapter ($10-$15)
NY.
is all you need for
there are two types of
while others can be
solution, my
The Midnite/PAPER
14
#13 June-July 1983
ACOUSTICAL VS. DIRECT CONNECT MODEMS :
I don't own a VIC MODEM, but I know it works best with a Western Electric
500 style phone. There are actually 2 kinds of modems: acoustical (CBM8010,
NOVATION CAT, etc.) and di rect-connect. Within di rect-connect, there are again 2
types. The type like the HAYES SMART MODEM is a complete telephone that plugs
directly into the wall outlet and is able to dial out or answer by itself. The
other type has 'no smarts', like the NOVATION D-CAT and the VIC MODEM, that
connect in series directly thru the telephone handset. On the D-CAT, the handset
is carried through and can still be used at the push of a button. On the VIC
MODEM, the handset is actually replaced with the modem. You must switch back and
forth by unplugging the handset cord. These types of direct connect modems don't
work with phones containing push buttons or dials in the handset. With
acoustical modems, if the handset doesn't fit in the cups, it doesn't work well.
DO YOU NEED PROGRAM UP LOAD A>OWN LOAD? ;
Many people seem to like the program download that the BBS's provide. It is
a nice system and it does work well, but in all honesty, unless you have lots of
$$ to spend on Ma Bell, you would be much better off joining a user group (such
as TPUG) or buying the ATUG diskettes. As good as the transfer system is, you
can still waste a lot of time and money on downloads that don't work. $10 will
buy a diskette full of programs. You couldn't do any better by calling around
the country. But if a BBS is local to you, then it's a whole different story.
FIBER NETWORK FOCUSES ON PERSONAL COMPUTERS :
The first fiber-optic network designed to integrate personal computers into
local nets is taking dead-on aim at the twisted-pair and coaxial-cable-based
versions that have been available. Claiming that at $300 per connection its
active-star fiber network built with 50-um graded-index glass is competititive,
American Photonic Inc. of Brewster, NY, introduced its 64Net at this week's
Interface show in Miami. The first version of the network, which comprises a
remote terminal unit, a node, and network operating-system software, is geared
for up to 32 Commodore-64 personal computers; other machines will be accomodated
in the future, says the developer . - Electronic Newsletter
TERMINAL. 112 WITH IEEE-488 MODEM :
Steve Punter's program TERMINAL, 112 as found in Strasma's HELP disk is
intended to be used with an IEEE SRQ line. If you would like to use this great
program with a set up that does not have the SRQ line connected, such as a
TNW-2000 (RS232 to IEEE-488), just add the following line to the TERMINAL. 112
program:
16 POKE 31288, 169:POKE 31289, 01:POKE 31290, 234:POKE 31333,64
That's all you need. These pokes change the program so the device is sampled
each pass and then any nulls are re jected. -Kenneth Finn
WHY BBS'S VARY :
As you try out the different CBM/PET BBS boards, you'll find they vary.
Some SYSOP's have added options to their boards, while others had to remove some
to make room for other options (it's a big program). Some boards are running CBM
hard disks. The SYSOP of the Cheyenne WY , BBS (307/637-6045) has split his
program download list into 3 parts, to reduce the search time through the file,
as users have added lots of programs. Many programs can be put in 7.5 meg... or
even 5 meg. You'll also find that each SYSOP has his own ideas on how his BBS
should be run (as it should be). The SYSOP of one BBS might put the blocks to
what you are allowed on another BBS. Users need to show some responsibility and
courtesy, and act as you would want another to act if it was your system.
Remember that most of these BBS's are provided for free by private individuals
using their own personal computers. As soon as it turns into a '10-4 good buddy'
affair, many will close up. Also remember that there are NO secrets from the
SYSOP. If you have truly private messages to send, then a BBS is no place to
leave it. Call the person directly, instead. -TT
The Midnite/PAPER 15 #13 June-July 1983
c
EXCHANGE 1515 PRINTER FOR A 1525E ;
RE: Rumor you could exchange a 1515 printer for a 1525E. I called
Commodore Support Group (215)436-4200 and immediately heard a taped message,
which said standby. Music was played for a total phone bill of $6; then I was
told that $50 would replace the faulty ROM chip in the printer (or send $25 and
the chip would be sent to you). They would not exchange a 1515 for a 1525 E.-MT
NEW PRINTER RIBBONS :
REINKING 1515/25 RIBBONS ; I opened one end [of the VIC 1515 ribbon
cartridge]. The ribbon turns a corner around a spring-load. It's a loop! A
tiny 18 inches or so of ribbon loop, and a SPONGE. The ribbon goes 'round and
'round and rubs on the sponge to ink itself. I saturated the sponge with WD-40,
and listed two long programs. Inside the LEFT spool is a little
that makes sure the sponge turns. Don't drop it 1- ( Journal/20 )
REINKING 8023 RIBBONS ; See MACINKER under CBM/PET Hardware Reviews ne(± issue.
NEW 8023 CARTRIDGE RIBBONS : I have been sending my 8023 ribbon cartridges
to: West Point Products, Inc., Schoolhouse Lane, Valley Grove WV 26060. They put
new ribbons in them and send them back at $5.20 per cartridge.
A-l.-Wm. Benline
plastic gear
Their quality is
ADDRESSING A NON-CBM PRINTER :
Recently I tried to format a C.Itoh Starwriter from a BASIC program, and my
trusty CBM Professional Computer Guide failed to explain how to send format
commands to the printer without using secondary addressing. So here is a
beginner's guide to formatting this particular Diablo-type printer.
The User's Manual for the FP-1500-25 printer has an appendix describing
BASIC function codes. I wanted the functions for formatting lines per inch
(vertical spacing) and characters per inch (pitch). In this case, as with many
printers, the ESCape code is the first function to send. This must be sent as
CHR$(27) in an appropriate PRINT# statement.
The appendix then lists various functions available through ESC code. I
wanted ESC L (nl) (n2) for line spacing and ESC E (nl) (n2) for pitch. Minimum
line spacing on the STARWRITER is 1/48 inch, with (nl) and (n2) being the digits
used as numerator over 48. Example: for 1/8 inch spacing, nl=0 and n2=6 (1/8 =
6/48) . A common start-up value here is 1/6 inch, or 8/48 inch.
Pitch on the STARWRITER is a multiple of 1/120 inch, with the smallest value
being available for graphic mode (a separate ESC code is provided for this.)
Pica pitch is 1/10 inch, or 12/120; hence nl=l and n2=2.
After much trial and error, I discovered the following way to send commands
to the printer. (See the Qume Plotting routine from M/P #11, p. 58 for examples
of other ways.) With the STARWRITER, there are
for different modes: decimal, hexadecimal, or
also a number
ASCII code.
of codes available
(For this, my CBM
Guide was indispensable!)
10 rem set line spacing at 5/48 inch
20 open 1,4
3 print#l,chr$(27)chr$(7 6)chr$(48)chr$(5 5)
40 close 1
50 rem set pitch at 12 characters per inch
60 open 2,4
7 print#2,chr$(27)chr$(69)chr$(4 9)chr$(50)
80 close 2
I know letters and digits can be sent in quote mode,
punctuation. The above example worked. -Ted Spencer
but I got fouled up on
The Midnite/PAPER
16
#13 June-July 1983
Questions
QUESTION ; About XVM for the 64:
I still can't load it, even after LOAD "XVM*", 8,1 Is there a SYS command
that will work? What is the difference between XVM4.8 and XVM4.C?-Herb Gross
REPLY : First the good news. Your LOAD worked fine. You merely need to
type SYS 8*4096 to start XVM4.8 and type SYS 12*4096 to start XVM4.C, which
should give budding machine-language programmers a big hint on the difference
between versions and why they have 8 and C (the twelfth hex number) in their
names.
Now the bad news. Andy Finkel of Commodore has just informed us that the X
in XVM stands for experimental, and that it is NOT to be exchanged after all. It
has bugs and could give a bad name to the repaired version Commodore wants to
sell. Andy also asked that users stop exchanging his programs SPED and CHRED,
that edit sprites and programmable characters. Therefore, our 64 exchange
diskette is temporarily unavailable. Please don't exchange these programs. -JS
QUESTION: On SMART ASCII with RS232 printers
I'm still looking for a printer [that can produce] cursor and color commands
in listings. Will the SMART ASCII program print out these commands? I
understand it was included in a 64 dealer demo disk. -Herb Gross
REPLY : JAS reviewed SMART ASCII in M/P #ll. According to her review, it
DOES translate cursor graphics to letter commands in listings. However, it did
NOT work with WORDPRO. See also the review of CARD? in this issue. As to which
printer, I'm told the GEMINI STAR is like the MX-80 at a lower price, though with
a bug or two. Epson itself has a newer and "better" (translate faster) printer
called the FX-80. A reader has one and seems satisfied.
Now about that dealer demo... I feel sure it was not authorized by Midwest
Micro Associates and that they would express their displeasure if they found
folks copying their products. A whole lot of stuff was exchanged last Fall that
wasn't supposed to circulate, especially in the Midwest. At least one company is
looking for hides to nail to the wall. Not only was their stuff exchanged
without permission, but the version that got out had bugs, which could give their
product a bad name, even though the legitimate version is fixed. According to
Andy Finkel of Commodore, the same thing happened to some new 64 cartridges.
Somehow, REJECTED versions of some cartridge games were exchanged, which could
hurt both the sales and the reputation of the final versions. -JS
QUESTION : Are power spike suppressors necessary ?--Eddie Anderson
See the article on this subject in the last issue. As Bob Mergy explained
there, excess voltage and fluctuations of voltage can be a problem to computers.
Radio Shack's TRS-80 Model I computer was especially sensitive to this. Radio
Shack sells several computer power connectors that include spike suppression and
filtering. (See under CBM/PET hardware reviews.) On the other hand, I've rarely
heard of Commodore computers being troubled by surges. The only trouble I've
ever had was at a users' club meeting when we tried to put a dozen PET ' s on the
same circuit. Some worked under those circumstances, but others didn't. The
real danger is lightning. This can be prevented (short of a direct hit) by a $10
GE spike protector, sold in electronics and hardware stores. A similar unit is
built into some Radio Shack power strips. -JS
QUESTION : NEC 8023A-C printer programs
I recently purchased a NEC 8023A-C printer, partly because of the review by
The Midnite/PAPER
17
#13 June-July 1983
mag
for
azines
get us
are
old
th
I
e upcoming
went to a
W.L. Hinrichs in the Whole PET Catalog . Could you please provide Mr. Hinrich's
address. I am interested in the demo program he of f ered.-Webb V. Turner Jr.
REPLY : Bill's address is: William L. Hinrichs, c/o Rock Valley College,
3301 N. Milford Rd., Rockford IL 61101. -JS
REPLY: On Pascal for the 64
Mark Niggemann asked in the April issue (p. 16) about the availability of
UCSD Pascal for the Commodore 64. I have been told by software personnel at
Commodore that Pascal won't be ready for at least 4-6 months. UCSD Pascal takes
up 96K of memory, and since Commodore 64 only has 64K, the language must be
rewritten and "crunched" to fit the memory limitations. Commodore also feels
that this package is not the most desired (I would think that it would be a big
seller for schools), so they haven't even started working on it yet. -Ross Garber
Comments
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE PET?
COMMENT tl : It seems that all the other Commodore product
devoting a majority of articles to the VIC and 64. Please don't
timers with PET 2008's and CBM 2032's.-Tom Alht?
COMMENT t2 : What has happened to the PET? In looking at
articles, etc., for the Midnite/PAPER , not one is about the PET.
Commodore Educational seminar last week and while they kept saying the 4032 is
still being manufactured, all they showed was the 64' Of all the cheap(?) micros
around the PET is the best for teaching programming, primarily because of its
easy editing and graphics, as well as being the least indestructable. As the
mistress of 39 PETs, I would like to see more on them.
Also, I would like to see a series of articles on machine language that
start with "reach around the back and turn on the switch" and then continue in
words of less than one syllable - on the style of Ramon Zamora and Bob Albrecht's
book on TRAINING YOUR PET. -Harriet Pitkof
REPLY: How could we forget the CBM and PET models? Part of this issue was
written on a 2001/32B. Since we still print most everything our readers send us,
the way to get more articles, reviews or whatever for your machine or skill level
is by sending some. VIC owners insist on only reading VIC stuff, 64 owners only
want to see 64 stuff, and PET and CBM owners only want to see PET/CBM
information. But according to Jim Butterfield, about 85% of what applies to one
Commodore computer applies equally to all Commodore machines. If we review a 64
version, instead of the PET one, it's because that's what we were sent for
review. But the same product for another model will work about the same on your
machine, and many programs reviewed eventually become available in versions for
all models. Ditto for articles; those about one model can be converted for
others. Skim the whole magazine! We can't repeat everything 3 times.
We still prefer our CBM's to our 64 for serious work and will continue to
publish as much as possible about products and hints for it, even though VIC and
64 each outsell it 10 to 1 now. For your first adventure into machine language
concepts, take a look at next issue's article on using the monitor (built into
pet's and CBM's, but provided on diskette or cartridge for 64's and VIC's).
ADD BASIC WORDS TO YOUR COMPUTER :
I would like to suggest you include articles as have appeared in Printout ,
which shows hovv? to add BASIC words to your computer. So far on my 40 2001 with
BASIC 4 (FAT 40), I have added to the $E000 ROM, the commands KEYINP, SORT, BEEP,
BSCRN [stored in $9000 and turned on when my set is], LINEINP, and PADINP. There
are a few more routines I would like to add. -Don R. Lash
REPLY : All the "words" added in those articles are in the ATUG library in
source code form. Also, the magazine ( Microcomputer Printout ) is in stock at
Micro-Pace Computers in Champaiqn IL.-JS
The Midnite/PAPER 18 #13 June-July 1983
I I User Group Notes I I
New Clubs by Locality:
GEORGIA :
ATHENS COMMODORE USERS: SOUTHEASTERN REGION (ACUSER) , Athens GA. At
present, we have an active group of 20 users (mostly VIC and 64) who meet on the
2nd and 4th Mondays of each month (7:30 to 10:00 p.m.) at our local Commodore
dealership to hold entry-level instruction for beginners (first meeting) and more
advanced club activities (second meeting). We have just elected a president,
secretary, and librarian and are working up a charter and a membership
certificate. We would appreciate any help from more established clubs (ATUG,
ILUG) , such as 1) getting-started kits, 2) a charter and membership format that
we could modify, and 3) literature on issues of user morality (software copying,
pirating, etc.). -Jay Allen, Pres. ACUSER, University of Georgia, Dept. of
Psychology, Athens GA 30602 (404/542-4805)
Victims, Atlanta GA. The Atlanta area has one active VIC users groups that
I know of: Victims, P.O. Box 223, Conyers GA 30207. They have a newsletter and
monthly meetings. It was started by hams and they seem to know a lot about
hardware modifications (e.g., at the last meeting they had a solder station set
up for upgrading 8K memory boards to 16K). -Harold Miller
ILLINOIS :
KANKAKEE HACKERS, Kankakee IL. A Commodore users support group serving the
greater Kankakee IL area was formed in April of 1983 with the support of Ideal
Computer Systems. They currently have over 40 active members. Their current
membership is 64-heavy, but there is a large contigent of VIC owners and a
sprinkling of PET and 8032 users. Meetings are the 2nd Thursday of each month.
Contact Rich Westerman, R.R.#1, Box 279, St. Anne IL 60964 (815/933-4407)
INDIANA ;
COMMODORE HARDWARE USERS GROUP (C*H*U*G) , Indianapolis IN. Formed largely
of VIC/64 users, this group has a regular 8 page newsletter (monthly?) containing
useful tips on subjects like ML monitor, modem use, and good old chatter. The
present membership of about 100 meets monthly on 3rd Wednesday. CHUG's TPUG
membership provides public domain library access. Members bring software and
hardware inventions for display. Machine language class in progress. Contact:
Tim Renshaw, 9651 E. 21st St., Indianapolis IN 46229 (317/899-2003; BBS:
255-5435) .-Ted Spencer
MASSACHUSETTS :
MASSPET, a Commodore User Group [in Boston MA?], has a membership
approaching 100 individuals. . .with 5 sub groups: CBM, VIC 20, Commodore 64,
SuperPET, and CP/M. MASSPET was established with the purpose of bringing people
who owned or were thinking of purchasing a Commodore computer together to share
ideas and knowledge with each other, and to create a learning experience for all.
To establish a tie with all Commodore Users, a MASSPET Bulletin Board was
established (617/824-4878). It operates Monday-Friday, 7pm-9am and 24 hours
Saturday and Sunday. For more information, contact David A. Rogers, P.O. Box
307, East Taunton MA 02718
The Midnite/PAPER 19 #13 June-July 1983
Old Clubs: New Activities
MISSOURI ;
ST LOUIS PET SET , St. Louis MO. Membership in the group, including the
newsletter, Ts ^'8 i year for those who pick up the newsletter at meetings, and
$15 by mail. Send membership applications to Dan Weidman, 1541 Swallow Dr.,
Brentwood MO 63144. Because their "resident hardware specialists were unable to
make the [small] East Room [of the St. Louis County Headquarters Library]
dimensionally transcendental," the St. Louis PET Set has moved its meetings to
the library's Main Auditorium.
The above information is from the second issue I have received of their new
monthly newsletter, a vast improvement on the postcard the group used to send.
The current issue has twelved pages of typeset double-columned text, including a
good article on using relative files with the 64, a VIC screen poke chart, and
some useful articles for beginners. Very good reading for newcomers. -JS
ASSOCIATION OF COMMODORE USER GROUPS (ACUG) , St. Louis MO. I sure hope
there is an explanation for the actions of our friend Tony Ott of ACUG. I sent
two disks as he requested, one with my Newsletter on it and one for the BBS
programs over a month and a half ago and I have heard nothing from him since. I
also told him about the MASTER LIBRARY program in one of our telephone
conversations and he called Norm that very night and ordered it. Now Norm tells
me he sent him one right away and has never received payment for it.-G.W. Carter,
Commodore Computer Club, 734 Donna Dr., Temperance MI 48182
CANADA
TORONTO PET USERS GROUP (TPUG) REPORT ;
This issue was delayed a week by a singularly worthy
event — the annual Toronto (ONT) PET User Group
"Copyfest". TPUG '83 featured no-charge copying of 45
diskettes for members and paying guests, talks by several
of the best-known personalities in the Commodore world,
and commercial displays.
For me it was like coming home; I spoke at TPUG two
years ago last May. Then as now, I stayed with John and
Muriel Easton, and thoroughly enjoyed an elegant meal
with TPUG officers. But the old home has certainly
grown. Then I was a new member — number 1068. During the
copyfest, member #7000 joined! Then the meeting was held
in one room for a couple of hours. Now it took two full
days and most of a very large building. About 1000
members appeared during the weekend. One local member
was quite thankful that most American associate members
stayed away. The college would not have held them all,
and the copy system could never have handled the load.
As usual, the best part was renewing old friendships
and making new ones. I finally met fellow Micro editor,
Loren Wright, and renewed friendship with Karl Hildon,
editor of the excellent magazine. Transactor . Midnite
Columnist Jerry Key was there, as were Dr. Dick Immers of
our LC'* faculty and Midnite dealer Art DeKneef. The
hardest-working folks at the conference were arranger
Gord Campbell, and speaker Jim Butterfield. Even so,
both had time for brief chats with friends in the
cafeteria. My sincere thanks to TPUG for inviting me to
visit again. Apart from Lincoln, I can't think of
anywhere I like better than Toronto, or a better computer
group than TPUG. Highly recommended. -JS
A Giant Step
for the computerist
THE PRomguEEn
Opens up the world of modern elec-
tronics. Now - a complete microde-
velopment system in a cartridge using
the Commodore VIC-20. You get
HEXKIT 1 .0 for general purpose 8 bit
microprocessor software develop-
ment, a 4K ROfvl emulator for testing
program in circuits under develop-
ment plus an EPROf^fl programmer
for making hard copy of programs.
All-in-one cartridge ^^ g^g^nn
with 100 page *> |QOUU
tutorial manual. I WW
Gloucester Computer, Inc.
1 Blackburn Center,
Gloucester MA 01 930
Phone 617-283-7719
I£M
The Midnite/PAPER
20
#13 June-July 1983
CENTRAL ILLINOIS PET USER GROUP (CIPUG) HISTORY :
Steve Malinowski of the Colorado Commodore Computer Club asks: "Please send
me all the scoop on CIPUG. You know, its history and how and when it got
started. And how much it costs to join if you live out of state like me."
REPLY : Now the story can be told! CIPUG was founded back in 1978 when Rick
Townsend of Danville IL sent his name to Gene Beals' "PET User Notes" as the
Central Illinois PET User Group. Both JO and I eventually subscribed to the User
Notes and wrote Rick. He was leaving the area, but put us in touch with each
other, since we lived about 20 minutes apart. We quickly became friends, and
roped in anyone else we knew with a PET. However, many who had computers in 1978
were do-it-yourself-ers with no interest in forming a group. Even today, my
chats with the first PET owner I knew are enjoyable but rare, he's only been to 1
public CIPUG meeting, and he doesn't read Midnite .
The Midnite was founded one day 3 years ago when JO and I agreed that
Compute 1 had lost some vital aspects of Len Lindsay's "PET Gazette" when they
took it over. We decided to each put up a hundred dollars and see if we couldn't
carry on Len's work. As you can see, the gambit worked, and we never quite used
up the original investment. When CIPUG became an official monthly organization
with meetings, we could no longer handle the workload of a free quarterly
magazine and meet the public's demand for monthly or bimonthly issues plus
meetings. Therefore, we incorporated the Midnite separately as Midnite Software,
Inc., and turned it into the publication you are now reading, for $20/year.
Footnote : Occasionally we get letters from user groups asking how on earth
CIPUG manages to do so much, and lamenting their own inability to do anything
important, due to only having 50 or so members. These letters were enormously
humorous to the half dozen of us who actually made up the working core of CIPUG
for 3 years. But we couldn't tell anyone we only had a half dozen active
members, so we didn't. We finally found a cooperative dealer and went public in
August of 1982. Within two months we had 25 at each meeting and an overall list
of 100 or so, just by being around when VIC and 64 sales took off. Then this
past winter we became an umbrella group, encouraging each town in Central
Illinois to develop a separate sub-group. This they did, and now some of our
sub-groups are larger than the original group. Last fall we also moved, and
helped start a Lincoln sub-group, which is smaller than some, but still fun.
In each of our subgroup towns, there are a half dozen people who want a
computer club, and do the necessary work to make it happen. Once you have them,
even a club of 6 can reach important goals. Every three months, we schedule our
CIPUG meeting in one of the towns to show off something important — like special
people and new prototype equipment or outstanding programs. The librarians also
share their libraries with each other and with CIPUG librarian. Brent Anderson.
Moral : don't let small size or other handicap keep your club from tackling
that great idea. Decide what you can do that is unique and do it!-JS
I T VIC 20 Notes T I
FOXFIRE SYSTEMS , in co-operation with CHUG, has announced VIC MICROMON 1.2, by
Russ Bennett - an improved version of VIC MICROMON, by Bill Yee, Compute! ,
November 1982. Works with tape or disk, can be used to burn both 2516/2532 and
2716/2732 EPROMS. The best VIC machine language monitor around. Send $4 U.S.
copy fee to CHUG: VU001, c/o Fox 20, Box 507, Deer Park TX 77536 . - Hardcopy
DR. WATSON COMPUTER LEARNING SERIES :
VIC 20 users interested in assembly language programming are lucky to have
Dr. Watson Computer Learning Series, Beginners Assembly Language Programming, VIC
20 by Dr. P. Holmes, published by Glentop Publishers Ltd, London. Save a trip to
London; buy it from M.M.I, at 1511 Bingle, Houston TX (713/467-0466),... for
$19.95 plus tax. - Hardcopy
The Midnite/PAPER 21 #13 June-July 1983
WANTED : A simple accounts payable program
...for personal use to run either on a 8K VIC 20 or a 64, to track about 20
to 30 vendors, be able to update balances based on new charges and payments, to
run on disc, and be simple for a novice like me to use? Please make
recommendations. -Gerald Troy, O.D.
REPLY ; An abbreviated version of B. Prouty's eZZeBOOKS and eZZePAYROLL
program runs on the 64 with 1541. (See her current ad.) The PET version was
reviewed in M/P#10 under its former title, DATABOOKS and DATAPAYROLL. -ES
WANTED : a CBM 8096-usable free-form , keyword -based, no fields, no format, no
information filing and retrieval database like FYI 12000
set-up
Superf ile ?-Reinhold Aman
REPLY: Someone advertised
one once for CP/M (that
WORDSTAR files, but I've not seen it reviewed anywhere,
it or another one that does what Dr. Aman needs?-JS
is, ZRAM) that worked on
Anyone know where to get
WANTED: Good Word processor for the 64/1541 and Epson MX-80
I have a 64 with 1541 Drive and Epson MX80 with CARD? interface. I need a
word processing program for under $150 with: block move, block delete, block
copy, block merge from a file, 40/80 column choice, word wrap, recover last
command, and automatic reformatting after editing. I would like multicolumn
capability, cursor to end of paragraph, cursor to end of page, slow scrolling,
fast scrolling, page-by-page scrolling, on-screen formatting, a status line, and
a ruler line (a la WORDSTAR). I don't need proportional print or right
justification. -Nino Maida, 211 Brighton, San Francisco CA 94112
REPLY: Your best bet sounds like EASY SCRIPT from Commodore for $100.
PAPER CLIP 64 may be as good (I'm still testing it), and WORDPRO may be enhanced
for the 64 someday. EASY SCRIPT won't have word wrap on entry like WORDCRAFT,
but I consider that feature more trouble than it's worth. However, if you really
want that feature, WORD STAR will eventually be available to you via Commodore's
CP/M card for the 64. Software developers, feel free to borrow from the above
wish list in designing the next generation of word processing programs. -JS
WANTED : 64 Terminal program
You noted that a version of Steve Punter's terminal program for the 64 is
now available. One on a TPUG disk has an upload-download function that doesn't
work. Is one that works really available? If so, where?-Sheldon Leemon
REPLY: I have the 64 terminal program you requested on our terminal disk.
This version's upload and download do work, according to JO. To get it, send our
usual copying fee of $15 to 1238 Richland Av. , Lincoln IL 62656. -JS
WANTED : Software for setting up a bulletin board system. Also, a program
automatically download a disk to tape on a VIC or 64.-Bernie Worby
to
REPLY:
Contact Steve Punter at 416/624-5431. His BB package is the only
one around for Commodore. He is reportedly working on a 64 version (a difficult
project).
f
d
(Bernie is also looking for programs to sell. Contact him
273, Belibrook OH 45305.)
at Comsoft, Box
WANTED :
A Stock control system
A stock control system which could be used on a CBM 8096 with hard disk, to
The Midnite/PAPER
22
#13 June-July 1983
manage a 20,000 unit stock of footwear in complex ranges, distinguished by sex,
brands, last, color, style, sizes from 1 to 17, widths from AAAA to EEEE, and
cost. If possible, it should employ a bar code system of identi f ication. -John
Gilmour, 1187 Glenhuntly Rd. , Glenhuntly, VIC 3163, AUSTRALIA.
REPLY ; Your best choices are probably either SILICON OFFICE or THE
ADMINISTRATOR, both from England. Your nearest dealer should be able to buy
either of these well-known packages. To get the bar code reader, look for a
Tandy model 100 portable, computer for data entry. It has a bar code reader
built-in, and can probably be suitably interfaced with SILICON OFFICE via the
phone. Has anyone done a shoe store package yet?-JS
WANTED ; VIC plus VICMODEM program using Baudot code for the deaf
I ...was wondering if there is a program and/or any hardware available to
allow the VIC and VICMODEM to communicate via the standard Baudot code used by
the deaf. Byte printed an article in January 1982, "An Apple Talks with the
Deaf", but I don't know enough to make it work on my VIC. -Webb V. Turner Jr.,
1115 Larry Dr., Las Cruces NM 88001
REPLY : I think you mainly need to translate characters on the way to and
from your VIC. A simple modem program in Chapter 7 of our PET Personal Computer
Guide illustrates the method. It sets up two 256 element arrays and at each spot
in the array stores the correct ASCII code to substitute if that number is
needed. Thus, instead of saying PRINT#2, CHR$(65); you would say PRINT#2,
OUT${65), which might or might not contain a 65.
There is a Commodore users group for the handicapped, called the Delmarva
Computer Club. They write an occasional article for Compute or Commodore
magazine, but I have no other info on them. Does anyone have their address?-JS
WANTED : More video monitor reviews for the VIC and 64-Eddie Anderson
REPLY ; The two best color monitors we've seen are the Panasonic "Omni"
series reviewed in M/P #10 & 12 and the new Commodore monitor reviewed this time.
An Amdek JO had in his store for a while was too deep front-to-back for my taste,
and had an indifferent picture; not much better than an ordinary TV. KRP
reviewed a Comrex monochrome monitor very favorably last issue. When using a
Sony industrial color monitor for book photos last week, the picture was no
better than the Panasonic. Reader reviews of others are quite welcome. -JS
WANTED ; I'd like to hook up my 8032 to a large -screen TV. Possible?-Reinhold
Aman, 331 S. Greenfield Av. , Waukesha WI 53186
REPLY: Madison (WI ) Computers has a video adapter that may work. The
problem will be finding a TV with sufficient bandwidth to display 80 columns. -JS
FOUND ; PET joystick interface
Some time ago, a reader requested a joystick interface for PET. J Systems
Corp., 1 Edmund Place, Ann Arbor MI 48103, offers one for $70 that hooks to the
user port, allows "hi-resolution digitization", and includes software.
Used
WANTED TO BUY : Commodore 2022 Printer
Dan Kapsch, 1850 Gebhart Church Rd., Miamisburg OH 45342 (513/866-0120).
WANTED TO BUY : Commodore 4040 dual disk drive
Foxfire Systems, Inc., 3811 Newton, Pasadena TX 77503 (713/473-6723).
FOR SALE : Commodore compatible Texas Instruments 810 Printer
Six months old, mint condition. 150 cps., bi-directional, logic seeking,
upper/lower case, 136 columns, RS-232 or parallel interface. $1900 list; asking
$950 or best offer. -Ross Garber, 14 Hillside, Suffern NY (914/354-7439 eve)
The Midnite/PAPER 23 #13 June-July 1983
r
CBM/PET REVIEWS
I
WORDPROCESSING; A STUDENT WORKBOOK Update , from Gait's Educational Computer
Consultants. Requires 16K PET, cassette or disk, CBM printer + PAPERMATE.
COMPANY RESPONSE : We feel your review in the April/May issue of the
Midnite/PAPER failed to realize why this book was written - to aide elementary
teachers who were already familiar with PAPERMATE and who wanted to add
wordprocessing to their curriculum, not to replace the manual which comes with
the program. Teachers have many commercially prepared books of ditto masters for
their courses and no one faults a teacher for using them. With this book a
teacher may concentrate on supplementing assignments and not the clerical duties
in creating a curriculm in the first place. For $7.50, this workbook is a life
saver for a school, as every page of this book may be reproduced with the
author's blessing. The assignments and examples were suggested by 5,6,7 and 8th
grade students as being of general interest to all students. This workbook will
work with a single PET or a networked class. -Lori Gait
UPDATE #1 : We have been teaching our seventh and eighth grade students
"Computer Literacy" during the past year and when Lori brought us her workbook to
try out, we were very pleased with both the way it was presented and the types of
assignments given. The children have done well with it. We suggested several
revisions to the workbook, which Lori has kindly considered and for the most
part, accepted in the current version. I realize the children probably could
have figured out how to run the program using the documentation provided;
however, having tried to figure out a great deal of computer "documentation" in
the past two and one-half years, it is refreshing to find something that takes
the reader step by step. Face it. . .documentation is not usually written to be
understood. -John H. Clark, Principal
UPDATE #2 : With these workbooks, students can work on the assignments on
their own with very little teacher assistance. When they tried doing this with
the original documentation, it was drastic. I am not loaded with lots of free
time to assemble material, which someone else has already taken the time to
document. My time is premium, and I wish to thank Lori for putting out this
workbook which I have found most valuable. -Marcia Sawzak
Accounting Packages
EXPANSION PACKAGE FOR THE BPI GENERAL LEDGER , $295 from RTC . Both BPI ROM and
DOS protected. Requires 8032 and 8050.
This package corrects the major weakness of the BPI GENERAL LEDGER (a
weakness shared by most such G/L's.) Normally, BPI erases all its detail data at
The Midnite/PAPER
24
#13 June-July 1983
the end of each month. The expansion package retains this data, and allows you
to save it up all year. You can also get a report on transactions for any
account(s) for the whole year. I was quite impressed with this product at the
March dealer's show in Chicago, and also got a very favorable report on it from
BPI's people at the TPUG copyfest last week. Although my review copy lacks a
manual, the product is usable without it. If you use BPI's GENERAL LEDGER (and
many of you should), you also need the RTC EXPANSION PACKAGE. Recommended. -JS
MAGIS PLUS , $2000 (?) from Management Accountability Group. Disk protected.
PETSPEED-compiled BASIC. Needs 80 columns, 8050 and printer. ANTI -WARRANTY.
Designed for wholesale and retail businesses, or other applications.
Includes system diskette, data diskette and manual, but no backup program
diskettes in case of failure, damage or normal wear — a serious drawback. The
manual is complete and reasonably well written; also provides adequate screen
prompts for beginners to operate. All printouts use forms from a Georgia based
firm, to spare customers the expense of buying customized paper goods. However,
authors will customize the program (at an undisclosed price) for special paper
goods or features. Menus include Sales, Expenses, Accounts Receivable, Accounts
Payable, Inventory, General Ledger, Payroll, Data Backup and System Instructions.
A real time saver; lets you go directly from one menu to another without
reloading Main Menu, similar to BPI's more automated preselection idea. Runs
trial balances and has a variety of reports to evaluate your present situation.
Prints checks and labels for Accounts Payable and Payroll. Inventory reports can
show if stock levels fall below a specified percentage. Can evaluate performance
of various departments within a business. In short, it combines accounting with
the ability to analyze problem areas and identify faulty procedures, although it
cannot identify items important in larger operations like union contract costs.
Being a "Turn Key" program is its strongest point. The system requires little
knowledge of computers or accounting practices, and minimal training of clerical
staff. It's extremely forgiving and "bug-free"; "Old Ham Fist" could not
persuade it to misbehave once. Compared to BEC, BPI or MASTER, I prefer MAGIS+,
with these reservations: 1) its high price compared with BPI's price and
capabilities; 2) and its Lack of Warranty reassurance and system backup
diskettes. Otherwise, MAGIS+ is a highly detailed and complete package. Highly
recommended. -JPD
TIME ACCOUNTANT , $400 from Image Software. Time billing package. Requires 8032,
8050 and ASCII printer. PETSPEED-compiled BASIC. Dongle-protected.
Test version will hold up to 500 clients, while the marketed version uses
the DTL compiler and will hold 800 clients. Includes two diskettes (a Master
disk and a Transaction disk), a 48-page manual, and a run-time key which must be
placed on the first cassette port for the program to run properly.
Is this package 1) easy to learn and use, and 2) flexible enough for
individual user needs? Yes, TIME ACCOUNTANT receives an A+ in both categories.
'The manual is concise, well documented, thorough, organized and easy to read.
Though written for people with a limited computer knowledge and experience, it
would not bore people with some computer competency. TIME ACCOUNTANT is a
powerful menu driven and flexible time accounting and billing package, containing
many features and options to fit the user's needs. It is worth every penny, if
your needs are time management and accounting, and it comes with a 30-day refund
policy if it does not suit your needs. -TZ
The Midnite/PAPER 25 #13 June-July 1983
Hardware Reviews
Printers
GEMINI-10 PRINTER , $350-420 from many dealers. Dot matrix printer
This printer is an excellent buy. I would suggest using
CARD? parallel interface ($50-$80). It connects the printer to
it with Cardco'S
the serial port,
serial
,d
i^AKU.' para±xex incerrace (.pow-pow;. it connects cne printer to tne seiicij. poit
which simplifies I/O greatly and guarantees that any software requiring a seria
printer will work properly. This printer is a carbon copy of the EPSON MX-80 an
appears to be well-built. -Harold Miller
SEIKO GX100 PRINTER (BANANA) , $249-395 from Leading Edge. Dot matrix printer.
50+ cps. Centronics compatible parallel input. Optional interface.
REVIEW tl : To call this a stripped-down printer is giving it too much
credit. It's a VIC 1525/Panasonic/Seikosha clone, with user-definable
characters, ability to repeat graphics or data patterns, double width characters
and dot addressable graphics: its positive points. Here are the problems: It's
sooooo sloooww (30 cps), has no underline ability, no true descenders, no line
feed, must have a Centronics parallel interface to be used with the 64 or VIC,
and will only use flimsy #15 paper. I use an MW-302 parallel/serial interface by
Micro-World Electronics, which needs a lot of dip-switching to get certain
characters to pass to the printer. There are a lot of better and cheaper
printers available now for the 64 and VIC. My advice is to pass on this
one. -Rich Westerman
REVIEW t2 : Produced by Seiko of Japan and finished to meet the requested
specs of the marketing company. Optional interface has two components: a $25
cable prints standard ASCII character set (using a program in the manual), and a
$30 plug-in cartridge prints the Commodore character set, when used with the
cable). I haven't used the cartridge, but manufacturer says it works. -FD
SELECTONE TYPEWRITER , $695 from Selectone. For any computer with a Centronics
parallel interface. $195 for kit without typewriter.
An Olivetti Praxis 30 typewriter, modified to interface to a computer.
Modifications are entirely hidden inside the typewriter, with only a 10-conductor
cable peeking out the rear cooling vents. Though not tested, instructions for
installing kit seemed simple enough for people familiar with electronics kits.
Fairly compact and lightweight, but still a full KSR daisywheel printer.
Includes a liftoff ribbon self corrector with 10 character memory, and extra
characters for other languages. For $50 extra, you may substitute the PRAXIS 35,
adding dual pitch and a bit more memory. The heavier-duty PRAXIS 40 is also
available. As a typewriter, the SELECTONE performs somewhere between my old
electric Smith Corona and an old IBM Selectric. In features, it outdoes both,
though a new SELECTRIC would outclass it - for triple the price.
As a computer printer, it is entirely functional, though slow (6 cps net) -
about l/10th the speed of our C.ITOH PRINTMA, STER, but quality is nearly
identical. Back-spacing and underlining are supported, but I haven't gotten bold
face yet from WORDPRO/64. As mentioned in its review, WORD WIZARD changes
everything to lower-case. Ribbons last 40,000 characters - about l/5th as long
as on larger daisywheels, and cost nearly as much. Print wheels are available in
the usual array of typefaces, but no easier to change than on other daisy's. An
excellent choice if you need a good low-cost typewriter/printer. -JS
The Midnite/PAPER
26
#13 June-July 1983
Interfaces
TYMAC UNIVERSAL TAPE INTERFACE , $50 from Micro-Ware Distributing Inc. Cassette
interface for all Commodore computers. Implied warranty.
REVIEW #1 ; The Cadillac of PET cassette interfaces! Costs more, and does
more, than Cardco's CARDETTE (see separate review.) Like its competitor, it
easily loads and saves programs in Commodore format on ordinary cassette
recorders. But TYMAC ' s unit also solves the infamous parity problem between
early and recent DATASETTES, with a parity switch. There are 3 LED function
indicators, for motor-on, read, and write, plus a satisfying snap from a relay
whenever a file is found or a load or save is completed. Its most unique feature
is that it can directly duplicate files from one cassette to another WITHOUT
loading into the computer — perfect for your poor overworked cassette librarian
and the person with large free-format data files. On the negative side, this
plus a cassette is bulkier than a DATASETTE, has more cables and needs playback
volume adjusted. Even so, it's a stellar product. Highly recommended. -JS
REVIEW #2 : While not all cassette recorders seem to work, my two Sony
portable AM/FM cassette players work fine. A friend couldn't get the duplication
feature to work. Perhaps the trouble was the meager instructions; they even had
a typo in them. About two weeks later, I received more instructions clarifying
the duplication feature. A unique product. Recommended. -Ken Burch
Other Equipment
TRS-80 LINE FILTER , $50 from Radio Shack. For all computers.
A high-priced multiple outlet extension cord for computers. Electronic and
hardware stores sell similar units for as little as $10. The extra $40 buys: a
cord that doesn't fall apart, 8 plugs instead of 6, a lighted switch in some
units, surge suppression to help protect against cooking your computer after a
nearby lightning strike, and line filtering to keep your system from interfering
with or being interfered with by other electronic devices. The last two features
add most of the cost, but their value is hard to judge without a lab, as is the
fact that the unit includes 3 separate sections electronically isolated from each
other. I like having the outlets on a different face of the unit than the
switch. This lets me mount it on the wall without having to reach through a
mound of cords to reach the switch.
Radio Shack also makes an even fancier model (untested) that turns parts of
the system on in the correct order. This might be needed for 64 and VIC owners
with multiple disk drives, but not for other Commodore systems. Recommended
primarily for its convenience; if it provides protection, so much the better. -JS
BRANDING IRON Update EPROM burner.
My eprom burner is a BRANDING
IRON which worked fine with BASIC
3.0, but would not work with BASIC
4.0. I wrote to K-Z Systems
advising them of such. Got a nice
letter back, and a new tape which
still did not work with my computer.
After advising them of this, did not
get any answer. After re-writing
ROM 3.0 for 4.0, it works with no
problems. First it moved the code 1
byte ahead. You may have others
with the same problem. -Don R. Lash
l4t^^'
^•24K MEMORY EXPANSION ,si2».»39,
Give your PET/CBM a boost to 32K !
Loaded with nifty features. Low, low power.
• "Real World" SOFTWARE (sirsas,
Word Processor. Mailing List, Catalog. Ham Radio, Frequency Counter.
"OLD" 8K PETs
I 1
• 21 1 4 - TO - 6550 RAM ADAPTER (512.S25)
Replace 6550 RAMs with low cost 21 1 4s, Hundreds Sold!
• 4K MEMORY EXPANSION isi6.s62i
Low cost memorv expansion using 21 1 4s for bigger programs.
Professional Products at Personal Prices
OPTIMIZED DATA SYSTEMS
Dept.G, P.O. Box 595 - Placentia, CA 92670
DtSK-OMATE trademark Optimised Data Systems ■■ PET/CBM trademark Commodore
The Midnite/PAPER
27
#13 June-July 1983
[
I
Magazine Reviews
I
I
COMMANDER Update , $2/year. Monthly, from Micro Systems Specialties.
Geared to PET, VIC, 64 users exclusively. Past issues have had an excellent
machine language tutorial for the VIC 20. As with any magazine except Midnite , I
wouldn't trust their software reviews. I get the feeling that if I were spending
advertising bucks in their pages and sent them a blank disk to review, they'd
find something nice to say about it (a la Compute 1 ) . A little too much space
devoted to new product reviews (company propaganda) . The articles make it very
worthwhile, and it shows a lot of promise as a valuable resource. -BMD
ICPUG NEWSLETTER , $20 pounds/year airmail. Bi-monthly from Independent Commodore
Products Users Group (England) .
Very nice bi-monthly magazine, with the sort of useful and clearly written
information that makes the Transactor great. The 3/83 issue has 100 pages, 5
inches by 8 inches. Nice size to hold and read. Very readable print. Gem 1: 9
pages mapping VIC and 64 ROMs in relation to PET BASIC 2/3. Gem 2: In D0S2.1,
Bit 6 of a file type code in a file's directory entry is used as a file locking
bit and any file with bit 6=1 cannot be scratched . The directory entry appears
with a "<"following the file type.-BA
c
Modem Reviews
]
SIGNALMAN MARK IV MODEM , $127
from AB Computers. A new modem
for PET/CBM computers series with
BASIC 2 or 4.
Probably the least expensive
modem you can buy for PET. It
comes with a ribbon cable
connector to plug into the
parallel user port and [two]
modem driver programs on
cassette, one BASIC and one
machine code. The BASIC program
takes care of PET to ASCII
conversion; it's easy to add
extra functions (I programmed my
HOME key to send ESC). The
software even has a [n
undocumented] routine for sending
control sequences. It must plug
in between the handset and base
of a modular telephone unit.
Highly recommended. -Sam Adams
( Hardcopy )
Intelligent Software
for ttie Commodore computers
Catalog 5/1/83
My line of programs (such as it is) consists of ttie following products.
All are written for Commodore computers; any of my programs will
load and run without modification in the entire line (including older
PET'S),
1 . Word Processor; $25. It includes the following features: VERY fast
file routines, including a disk file catalog; automatic form handling
on tractor- or friction-feed printers; fully imbedded margin, justifica-
tion, spacing, formatting, and paging controls; block commands
and error-trapping in editing mode; and a spool routine (formatted
output to disk for later mass printing). I believe W/P is the most
thoroughly tested, user-oriented word processor available at this time
at anywhere near the price, for any machine. Requires a minimum
of 10k of memory (8k expansion on VIC), and a printer.
2. Copycalc; $20 (SI 5 if ordered with another program).
Copycalc is a simplified version of the "electronic spreadsheets" that
are becoming extremely popular for use on personal computers. It
allows the user to set up a visible grid of numbers on the screen, and
use the screen-editor to make changes in the grid, with the totals
reflecting the changes. Requires 6k RAM (3k expansion on VIC);
smaller version available for unexpended VIC.
3. Baseball Manager; $30. This program maintains complete bat-
ting statistics for a baseball or soffball league of up to 250 players.
It generates reports on a player, team, or the entire league (in-
cluding standings). It requires a minimum 10k of RAM; a printer is sug-
gested but not required.
4. Inventory; $30. A general-purpose perpetual inventory control
program. If produces a variety of reports, including order forms;
multiple vendors are supported. Requires 10k of RAM; a printer is
suggested.
All programs: support cassette and disk files and the CBM printers
(easily modifiable to other printers), come on cassette, and include
documentation. Prices include shipping; Calif, residents add 6'. All
programs are copyrighted by the author; those rights will be enforc-
ed. Programs available from:
William Robbins, Box 3745, San Rafael, CA 94912
The Midnite/PAPER
28
#13 June-July 1983
[
I
Science Reviews
MINI -COUNT VI. , $17-25 from Optimized Data Systems.
A software frequency counter for PET, made to measure the frequency of TTL
compatible signals presented to the input pins of the user port. Inputs prefer
to see square waves and not linear or sloping signals. Therefore, some form of
buffering and squaring circuits are needed to improve accuracy. The PET's
internal clock is crystal driven; however, that alone doesn't make it accurate,
just stable. Some adjustment [and] compensation circuitry is necessary to keep
it accurate (with temperature changes). The VIC isn't designed to have a very
accurate clock, but it has the adjustment to produce an accurate 3.58mHz color
subcarrier. The PET is even less accurate; variances in the TI or TI$ functions
from PET to PET can span up to plus or minus 5 percent.
With all the work which has gone into the software, the hardware cannot
support it. [It needs] an optional high accuracy, temperature compensated
crystal oscillator to replace the PET's original crystal to become the laboratory
instrument the author intended. Add a signal conditioning module to the input
[and a way to store] screen [information] to disk, tape or printer and it would
rival the $3000 counter packages used in laboratories. [Without it] this program
is little more than the cheap hand-held frequency counters for under $50.
When I look only at the $20 cost of the program and don't expect more than
simple frequency measurements to augment readings from my bench oscilloscope, the
program becomes more attractive. It would either delay or preclude a $50 to $500
investment for a dedicated counter, especially if I could save a tabulation of
the results. At that point, I would definitely upgrade the clock accuracy of my
PET and use this program. -Hank Mroczkowski ( Hardcopy )
c
utility Reviews
)
language
simulates
relative
simulated
quite fast
Only lacks
SIM 6502 , $5 from Robert Baker.
For 2001 and 8032.
An excellent development and
debugging tool for 6502 machine
programming. Program
a 6502 system using
records to contain the
memory locations and is
for a BASIC program,
output to printer for
disassembly. Allows disassembly,
trace, execute single
instructions, display memory, set
breaks, go, hunt, view video ram
and others. In BASIC, for easy
modification as desired. Main
variables identified in
documentation. This program would
complement both the novice and
experienced programmer. Another
typical Bob Baker program -
inexpensive but highly useful.
Highly recommended. -JK
[ COHMODORE 64 ^^M
CIR-KIT ENGISEEBING
20 - SUPER EXPANDER BOARD (VM-104) w/OmCKSET
Pour Independently Switchable Expansion Slots
Quickset (Reset) Switch
Power Fuse Protected
User Power Supply Connection
Gold Plated PCB Edge Connectors
Highest Quality Materials
COMHODORE 64
SUPER EXPANDER BOARD (64M-104) w/QUICKSET
. All The Features Of The Above VIC 20 Board
Plus
. Fully Buffered - A Necessary Requirement For Correct
Operation From This Port
PET/CBM - ROM EMULATOR (PMB-1) w/BATTERY BACKUP
. Allows 4K Of Write Protected RAM
. Plugs Into Any ROM Socket Above Screen Memory
. Standard With Battery Backup
. Compatible With Any Large Keyboard Machine
. Use As A Software Development Tool
. Use To Load ROM Images At Conflicting Addresses,
e.g.: BasicAid, Micromon, Sort Routines, Etc.
... For a special limited time will include a Basic
Relocator listing which will allow you to convert
& execute basic programs stored in the PHB-1 .
AVAILABLE IN THREE ECONOMICAL FORMS
1 . Fully Built & Tested
2. Kit Form {All Parts Incld)
3. PCB Only (No Parts)
Send Check or Money Order to:
VM-1 04
$59.95
$49.95
$29.95
64M-104 PMB-1
$69.95 $79.95
$59-95 $69.95
$29-95 $29.95
CIR-KIT ENGINEERING
10136 E. 96TH STREET
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46256
Include $2.00 Shipping & handling
Indiana Residents Add 5^ Sales Tax
Allow 20 Days For Personal Checks
PUTOEE PRODHCIS AVAILABLE SOON -
Direct TAPE to TAPE Cassette COPY MODULE
EPROH Programmer
External Keyboard for Business, Games, Programs, Etc
The Midnite/PAPER
29
#13 June-July 1983
r
COMMODORE 64 REVIEWS
"I
Accounting Packages
PERSONAL FINANCE ASSISTANT , $60 from Rainbow Computer.
Beautifully packaged, very well documented. Those who are using PFA seem
very pleased with it. Thorough review next time.-BMD
Data Base Managers and Mail Lists
EQUIP , $13 cassette on CURSOR 64-3 from Code Works, Inventory.
Pluses: Can store information about any equipment on disk file or cassette
file. Could be changed so fields were of your choice. Old files can be changed
or added to, then resaved under same name. Minuses: I needed a card with name
of files, because if you read an old file, you need the name and to get the
directory off the disk, it wipes out your program. Each file only holds 12
records. A good program - could be used for several things. -NR
FILING ASSISTANT/WRITER'S ASSISTANT , $125 from Rainbow Computer.
Haven't had time for an in-depth look yet. This much I can say:
documentation is excellent, geared to a novice, and company is very supportive.
Rainbow says PERSONAL FINANCE ASSISTANT and this program will merge with an
upcoming release, SPREADSHEET ASSISTANT. If true, and the programs are as good
as their documentation, they should have a winner. Thorough review next
time.-BMD
64 MAIL LIST , $30 cassette or $35 diskette from Data Equipment Supply.
A respectable mailing list if you don't need any categorization. Holds 250
names per file. It will create files that are compatible with WORDPRO 3+/64.
Can merge files, sort by any field of address data, or by zip code or area code.
In zip sort you can specify any range; in area code sort it selects the code you
specify. Entry and housekeeping functions easy to use. If some means of
classifying the names besides address data were included, this would be a much
better program. -LW
Electronic Spread Sheets
CALC RESULT , $135 cartridge and diskette from Computer Marketing or Handic
Software AB. Printer optional. Anti-warranty.
REVIEW fl : Commodore 64 version of program reviewed in M/P #12. A very
versatile VISICALC type program. Offers 63 columns and 254 rows per page, with
32 page capacity. Has nice split screens and windows, plus enough other
functions to keep you busy figuring out what you can do for a long time. Manual
is well designed and presented, although obviously written by someone for whom
English is a poor second language. Manual has a few errors. I certainly hope
they know what they are doing! Highly Recommended. -LW
The Midnite/PAPER
30
#13 June-July 1983
REVIEW t2 ; VISICALC perfected - almost. Nearly everything I found
inconvenient in VISICALC has been corrected, with dozens of new features added in
this new Commodore-only program. NEW IDEAS: allows 3-dimensional spreadsheets
up to 32 pages in size, views up to 4 at once, and consolidates data from several
pages; has built-in HELP screen, wr ite-protecting formulas, storable printer
formats, IF-THEN-ELSE, multiple column widths, screenprint, FULL use of color,
and a choice of several languages. IMPROVED IDEAS: leaves row and column
numbers out of printouts, cursor edits inputs, uses function keys well, uses HOME
key to go to top-of-screen and page (as in WORDPRO) , has vastly larger workspace,
much faster loading of data, and better looking graphs.
CR was obviously designed to use many of the same functions as VISICALC,
retaining most of the same control keys, and supposedly reads VISICALC files.
Compared to VISICALC, the only disadvantage I found was the inability to set a
protected horizontal title. Vertical titles in CR are also unprotected, but
stable, and may have a different column width from the rest of the page.
A red sheet points out the most notable fault in CR — it won't start at all
unless you leave the drive door open until you hear the drive head 'thump' on its
bumper when loading the master diskette. Another fault is that the startup text
is nearly unreadable, because both the help screen and normal background you get
when you hit RETURN is yellow. Just follow the manual to select another color
using the global format command. The manual mentions a dual drive, but not
whether it will work with IEEE interfaces. Without an expansion motherboard, I
couldn't test that.
The manual is shorter and easier reading than VISICALC's, but not perfect.
It could use: an index, a prominent summary sheet of commands on the last page,
and a small job aid listing the uses of the function keys. I attached my own
command summary to the cartridge itself. I still have much to learn about CALC
RESULT in the months ahead. I can't compare it to BUSICALC, a fine and cheaper
spreadsheet reviewed by JO in M/Pttl2 , because I've not seen it. Based on what I
have seen, CALC RESULT is a great program. Definitely recommended. -JS
Word Processors
BUSIWRITER WORD PROCESSOR PROGRAM , $99 diskette from Skyles Electric Works.
Machine language. Requires 64, 1541/4040 disk drive, and printer. Foreign DOS
Protected. No warranty, but will replace defective diskette for $10.
Supports a wide range of printers (VIC 1525/CBM printers, Epson
MX80/100/FX80, Qume/Diablo/Starwriter, Spinwriter, Qume/Diable, ASCII printers).
Compatible with EASYSCRIPT, WORDPRO, or SUPERSCRIPT by omitting page range
prompts when merging documents. Also compatible with MICROSCRIPT and WORDCRAFT
by using "M" or "C" on page range prompts. (Removes all WORDCRAFT embedded
controls. )
SPECIAL FEATURES: Global/fill, Merge (from disk or work page); Find and
Replace/multiple replace phrase or by printed page number; Change color (text,
backround, border) , Displays characters free in document; Move cursor to
next/previous/specific page, to next/previous screen, or to next TAB or opposite
end of line, insert, delete, copy, or move text; rename, save or print document;
override page width, auto-indent, TAB, numerical TAB, center- or underline; sub-
and superscript, emboldening; send ASCII code (for ASCII printers); disk
commands.
PLUSES: Excellent manual, with an invaluable quick reference guide and
detailed explanations of various functions and how to use them, I was writing
and saving documents after less than 1 hour of reading the manual and playing
with the program. Good explanations of various functions. I really liked the
color control; any of the three colors (text, backround, border) can be changed
and saved to disk with the document. Also of interest to small businesses and
church groups is the merge letter/merge label feature, which allows a list of
names and addresses to be merged into a form letter or onto mailing labels.
The Midnite/PAPER 31 #13 June-July 1983
MINUSES: The only thing I didn't like was the drive initialization
procedure which clears the drive buffers. You don't close the drive door until
after you insert the program, type 'Open 1,8,15,"!"' and press RETURN. I had
trouble getting it closed quickly enough, but eventually got used to it.
I have never used a word processor before. However, once I got it home and
started using it, I couldn't have been more pleased. I retyped a couple of
assignments I had already turned in for school, and Lo and Behold! They looked
just like I had typed them originally, except! no whiteout. This is a VERY user
friendly program with logical and well thought out commands and features found on
systems and programs costing much more. -Rick Axley
EASY SCRIPT , $100 from Commodore.
I have found it very nice to use. It has most of the advantages of WORDPRO
4, with the exception of adding columns of numbers. It does have horizontal
scrolling. You can write with just forty columns for easy editing, or specify up
to 240 columns and it will horizontally scroll while you are composing. Sets
printed line length independently. Then use screen view mode (with horizontal
scrolling) to check it before printing. Line and column counters tell you where
you are. All the other goodies are present, including fill files, block
transfer, repeat and save, search and replace, headers and footers. Excellent,
well arranged and nicely paced manual (obviously written in England). Other
extra commands include Goto for rapid access of various parts of the text, and
screen by screen display of the text as well as panning. Touch the control key
to change background and text color. -JAS
PAPERCLIP 64 , $125 from Batteries Included (Canada) or Computer Concept (USA).
Needs disk drive. ROM chip dongle protection. One year warranty.
REVIEW #1 : Can do everything that the original PET/CBM version can do (see
review in M/Ptll , and in some ways is easier. The main differences come from the
64's keyboard layout; most make the 64 version easier to use. For instance, the
CTRL key is used as Control, rather than using the OFF/RVS key. The COMMODORE
key toggles insert mode, instead of SHIFT and OFF/RVS keys. The same manual is
used for both versions with the key changes (pun intended) listed in an addenda.
The program will run only with the key plugged into joystick port one. The
diskette can be backed up and comes with several useful printer set-up files
(documentation should be available soon).
Border, background and character colors can be changed with the function
keys (very useful if you're using a TV as a monitor). Horizontal scrolling can
be set up to 126 columns - very useful should you ever want to load files written
on an 80 column machine. According to Jim Strasma's review of PAPERCLIP for the
PET/CBM, a return in the middle of a line doesn't erase the rest of that line.
In the 64 version it does! This can easily be overcome by using insert mode to
create a new paragraph without losing the rest of the line.
As a journalist using a $6000 stand alone word processor every day, I
compared PAPERCLIP 64 and WORDPRO 3+/64 very carefully. This review was written
using PAPERCLIP 64. All I need now is an 80 column board — are you listening
Data 20? The latest shipments of PAPERCLIP 64 contain two programs. One is the
normal 40 column program; the other supports the 80 column board from Data 20
Corp. For those with the early 40-column only diskette, dealers will supposedly
update for the cost of the diskette only ($15) . PAPERCLIP 64 is an outstanding
package that more than justified its extra cost over WORDPRO 3+/64 . -Gordon Watson
REVIEW #2 ; Manual quality is good, but could be better for beginner. PLUS:
It has most everything a person could want in a word processer in its price.
MINUSES: My printer is a TP-1 hooked up at the parallel port, with the SMART
ASCII interface, ...but PAPERCLIP 64 will not run with it in memory. Not being
able to get any output, I called PAPERCLIP (5/26/83). Their reply was I had
version A which wouldn't work. I asked what could be done to which they replied,
"buy version B." I asked if they would trade versions with me. They replied,
"For $15 and your disk we will." I then asked when this could be done, to which
they replied, "When it comes out!" NO place on the box does it say RS-232 only.
The Midnite/PAPER 32 #13 June-July 1983
and they want $15 for a trade when it comes out!-Alan Dare
TOTL.TEXT 2.6 , $45 diskette from Totl. Software. Machine language.
REVIEW tl : I used the text editor for this letter and review, merely
changing the Secondary Address in line 1 to a 7 to comply with CARD? interface's
requirements for upper/lower case printing. Allows almost every function of the
printer to be exercised with minimum problems, without any surgery to the program
itself. For its price, it's fantastic !-Nathan Okun
REVIEW t2 ; I'll be using many different word processors and am willing to
bet I won't find a better deal than this, for 45 bucks. For instance, it has
compatabili ty with a wide range of printers; text processor in BASIC (can be
easily modified for your special needs); I/O routines in machine language for
fast printing, loading and saving; easy scrolling up and down through text;
columnar tabs; and works with 80 columns automatically. Want more? How about
full margin control and justification, or block move and block delete? The
processor is menu-driven so that even a novice like myself is writing
fancy-looking letters within a few minutes. I wasn't happy with the colors it
loaded, so I followed the very well-written manual's instructions on changing
formatting and color (that more expensive word processors cannot do easily). My
only problem so far is that sometimes my block-moves have a nasty habit of
re-arranging themselves in spite of my instructions. In loose comparison with a
friend's WORDPRO 3+/64, the only difference between the two seems to be WORDPRO'S
global search and edit. The TOTL people have a good reputation for providing
updated versions at reduced costs, and offer good support. -Rich Westerman
I I Commodore 64 Compiler Reviews I I
PETSPEED 64 (RELEASE 2.0) , $150 diskette from Small Systems Engineering. For 64
with 1541, 4040 or 8050 disk drive.
REVIEW tl : Preliminary Warning: With this version of the popular compiler
for Commodore machines, you cannot compile a program bigger than 80 blocks using
a 1541 (maximum program size on a 64 is about 150 blocks). It cannot use a 4040
or 8050 if the IEEE interface software uses up program space in the 64
(especially $C000) . Because the Richvale new relocator program 5.1 puts the C64
LINK under the BASIC ROM ($B000) , they have supposedly been able to run PETSPEED
64. Small Systems Engineering sells a $180 serial port-to-parallel (IEEE) add-on
called INTERPOD that also lets PETSPEED work. I feel their advertising is
misleading buyers. Joe Brown has said on CompuServe that PETSPEED 2.0 does not
work at all. I will let you know. -Roy Wagner
REVIEW t2 : PETSPEED works reasonably well as long as you avoid using a
string of blanks in it - the string must be defined each time it is used,
apparently. Also, the program has no error checking, so that, if a disk error
occurs, it keeps on going and gives you a rotten compilation. I have a 99-block
database program which I have used compiled on the PET, and which I wanted to use
on the 64. I finally got all the ROM-dependent features fixed up (including
relative file commands), and had the un-compiled version working on the 64. So,
I bought my 64 PETSPEED and got rolling.
First attempt - a hangup, because I had more than 288 simple variables in my
program. (I have not found this limitation mentioned in the PETSPEED manual.) I
chopped out about 6 variables and things ran well through Pass 2. Suddenly, a
message came on the screen that disk space was lacking and was it okay to scratch
source files? I typed "y" and pressed return. The message "I/O error #2"
appeared on the screen, and the compilation proceeded. About 2/3rds of the way
into the third pass, the disk error light began flashing and PETSPEED just rolled
merrily on its way. Finally, things just stopped. I found no files had been
scratched, the disk was full, and there were 2 unclosed files on the disk.
A call to "Lisa" at Small Systems Engineering in California revealed that
The Midnite/PAPER 33 #13 June-July 1983
there is an 80-block limit to PETSPEED on the 64; a serious problem which also
was not mentioned anywhere in the AOS or PETSPEED manual. Also, a new improved
version is now supposedly in the mail, which fixes some bugs in the 1.0 version I
had purchased. Meanwhile, a program with only 44 blocks compiled (30+ blocks in
BASIC) has also acted up. String variables are forever being clobbered during
program execution - filled with garbage after one pass through the program. Ah,
well... -Bill Brown
The QUIZ program presents the questions in fixed or random order; with
prompt sounds for right and wrong on or off, and ends with a
answers, time, and a chance to repeat the quiz,
count of right
PACEMAKER , $35 from Spinnaker.
Good graphics, fair sound. I have
mixed feelings about Spinnaker's first
release for the 64. It accomplishes its
educational goal quite well; kids from
4-12 seem thrilled with it. You build a
face by choosing eyes, ears, mouth, nose,
and hair, with eight different selections
for each feature. After drawing the
face, the child may "program" the face to
wink, smile, frown, cry, wiggle its ears,
or stick out its tongue. He may also
play a "Simon says" type game where the
face performs and the child copies the
movements. For keyboard familiarization,
entertainment, and a painless intro to
programming, I'd recommend it without
reservation. However, I wish the authors
had used the capabilties of the 64.
While graphics are good, the 64 could do
much better. Why not let the child
choose the face shape? PACEMAKER is a
solid first offering. I'm looking
forward to Spinnaker's future releases,
and only hope they will make better use
of the 64's capabilities in upcoming
of f erings.-BMD
C64-FORTH
for the Commodore 64
FORTH SOFTWARE FOR THE COMMODORE 64
C64-FORTH (TM) for the Commodore 64 - $99.95
• Fig Forth-79 implementation with extensions
• Full feature screen editor and macro assembler
• Trace feature for easy debugging
• 320x200, 2 color bit mapped graphics
• 16 color sprite and character graphics
• Compatible with VIC peripherals including disks, data set, modem,
printer and cartridges
• Extensive 144 page manual with examples and application screens
• "SAVETURNKEY" normally allows application program distribution
without licensing or royalties
C64-XTEND (TM) FORTH Extension forC64-FORTH - $59,95
(Requires original C64-FORTH copy)
• Fully compatible floating point package including arithmetic,
relational, logical and transcendental functions
• Floating point range of lE+38 to 2E-39
• String extensions including LEFT$, RIGHTS, and MID$
• BCD functions for 10 digit numbers including multiply, divide, and
percentage, BCD numbers may by used for DOLLARCENTS
calculations without the round-off error inherent in BASIC real
numbers.
• Special words are provided for inputting and outputting
DOLLARCENTS values
• Detailed manual with examples and applications screens
{Commodore 64 is a trademark of Commodore)
TO ORDER- Specify disk or cassette version
- Check, money order, bank card, COD's add $1.50
- Add $4.00 postage and handling in USA and Canada
- Mass. orders add 5% sales tax
- Foreign orders add 20% shipping and handling
- Dealer inquiries welcome
PERFORMANCE MICRO PRODUCTS
770 Dedham Street. S-2
Canton, MA 02021
(617)828-1209
The Midnite/PAPER
34
#13 June-July 1983
ANNIHILATOR , $20 cassette from Victory Software Corp. Requires joystick.
Protected. Machine language.
This is an almost exact replication of the popular DEFENDERS (tm) arcade
game. Uses hi-res, sprite graphics, and the best sound that I have heard for the
64 yet! Your mission is to annihilate the invading aliens. Uses joystick to
manuever around the screen. The landscape scrolls horizontally across the screen
creating very nice graphic effects. The only thing lacking is the scanner, found
on the arcade version. Very highly recommended. -Ross Garber.
$20 cassette/$23 diskette from Comm*Data.
Protected. Requires
APE CRAZE ,
joystick.
REVIEW fl : A DONKEY KONG take off. You jump up a screen of platforms,
instead of walking up an incline. Reaching the escape hatch gives you a second
screen, where you have to pull out bananas that hold the structure together while
avoiding bombs. Very nice music. Particularly clever synchronization between
music and screen while changing to second screen. Recommended. -LW
REVIEW ♦2 : Not a DONKEY KONG,
at the bottom of the
jump and only one
A character at
screen, you jump
try per game.
top of a screen throws down
up on beams popping ballons.
Catchy, but tedious tune.
objects while.
Very hard to
Frustrating; not recommended. -Roy Wagner
REVIEW t3 : Favorite at our house from age 4 to 17. Music is catchy and
enjoyable. Two different boards, each randomly made each time they appear, so
keeps being a challenge no matter how long you play. Highly recommended. -NR
REVIEW ^4 : An original variation of DONKEY KONG. You must avoid the
onslaught of barrels. The excellent use of music in the background of play still
would not entice me to purchase the game. -JO
CENTROPODS , $20 cassette/$23 diskette from Comm*Data.
Very close to CENTIPEDE. Very good sound and graphics, but a little too
easy. You move your man on the bottom of the screen, shooting centropods,
spinning globes, and guided missiles and a random U.F.O. Try before you buy. -Bob
Bures (a young man's review)
CHICKEN CHASE , by Micro-80; $20 cassette from Nibbles and Bits, Inc. Joystick
needed.
A chicken runs around in squares, instead of circles. Birds try to kill you
and when the chicken squares the random picked square, a wolf starts chasing it.
A lot of action and fun to play. Recommended. -NR
COLLECTION 64:Cl , $10 cassette/diskette from Public Domain, Inc. Not protected.
This collection of programs from various contributors is a worthwhile
investment for only $10. Includes Checkbook utilities, several excellent
adventure games, outstanding 3 part harmony music, flight simulators. Sprite
Editor, Program Lister utility, and others. HIGHLY recommended. Send money
order for fastest service. NOTE: Treat this tape as a master copy and transfer
the programs to a high quality cassette or disk for everyday use. -Warren Gordon
COLLECTION 64; C2 , $10 cassette/diskette from Public Domain, Inc. Not
protected.
A worthwhile investment. Software includes hi-res demos, music, bar graph
utility, several excellent adventure games, OTHELLO, POKER and others. Perhaps
the best programs are MONOPOLE 64 (this same excellent game sold in the stores
for $20) and Jim Butterf ield' s SUPERMON64. Highly recommended. -Warren Gordon
The Midnite/PAPER
35
#13 June-July 1983
CURSE OF RA , $20 from EPYX.
More data files for the TEMPLE OF APSHAI. See TEMPLE for review. -JO
CURSOR 64-1; FIFTEEN, SAFE, PIANO , $13 cassette from The Code Works. Requires
joystick.
This first offering of Cursor for the 64 Includes three programs.
FIFTEEN is the old tile game I remember playing as my family traveled. You
use the joystick to move the tiles around to get them into numerical order in the
4x4 block. Keeps track of the number of moves made, to make you feel bad or
good depending on your ability.
SAFE is a safe cracking game. With the joystick you have 2 minutes to solve
the 4 number combination. You get a double click and visual indication . when you
get a number correct, but be careful; if you go past the number, the combination
resets. Some fair sound and graphics if you open the safe.
PIANO is a music program that plays some interesting music. The best part
is the keyboard graphic with a moving block showing what key is being sounded.
Comes with three tunes, none of which I had ever heard. You can program your own
song, but the method is admittedly dif f icult. -LW
CURSOR 64-2: BETS, BOSWAIN, HANOI , $13 cassette from The Code Works.
This is a rather uninspiring offering of 3 games.
BETS is a gambling program that I have difficulty with, called Indian Poker,
and has some fair graphics. The three opponents the computer selects for you
change their expressions as the game progresses.
BOSWAIN is a stone. The write up claims this might be what DUNGEONS AND
DRAGONS players dream about at night. Oh joy! What you really get is two
screens of text and a guessing game to choose which hand is holding 10 rubies.
The figure is 3 notches past barely recognizeable.
HANOI , despite the write up about priests of an ancient cult, is a version
of a game called CRAZE. You have to move a stack of 3-7 disks from one peg to
another, one at a time, and you can't put a larger disk on top of a smaller one.
When you solve it, the computer tells you the fewest number of moves possible to
solve, if you want to know. I rate this cassette - don't bother. -LW
CURSOR 64-3: MISER, EQUIP, MAD , $13 cassette from The Code Works.
EQUIP ; See under Commodore 64 Business Reviews.
MAD : Fi 11-in-the-blank story program. Has six different
relating to computers. Can be funny, depending on fill-ins. If
EQUIP and MISER it's okay, but would not recommend by itself. -NR
MISER, by Mary Jean Winter. Adventure game. My 9 year old
using his mind with this one. You collect treasures as you move
room and around the outside of the house. After several hours, he
treasure to find. However, once you solve and find all treasures, you won't keep
playing. Still a good buy with the two other programs. -NR
CURSOR 64-5: GODZILLA-MERGE , $13 cassette from The Code Works.
MERGE: I did not use, so no comment. -NR
GODZILLA : Win by killing Godzilla. Attack by land, sea, air. A map of
Japan is on the screen and Godzilla moves about. There are sound effects during
different attacks. A different format game, but still war type. Didn't enjoy it
that much.-NR
ESCAPE MCP , $25 cassette (or diskette) from Comm*Data. Requires joystick.
Machine language.
REVIEW #1 : A TRON offshoot. Must run man through several mazes while MCP
chases you, using binary pursuit. You collect treasures for points, and mazes
keep getting more difficult. Very hard to escape from MCP. Man gets caught on
some turns. More frustrating than fun. Not recommended. -Roy Wagner
REVIEW #2 : Maze game. The MCP is a funny looking M that can go through the
walls as he pursues you. Just isn't up to standards of other Comm*Data games as
The Midnite/PAPER 36 #13 June-July 1983
stories
all
included
with
son has
been
from room to
still has one
far as I am concerned. Unless you are a maze freak, not recommended. -LW
REVIEW tS : ESCAPE places you in a circular maze in which you try to move
your man into the center for a key to open the door to yet another maze. Looks
simple, but very difficult to play. -JO
FROGGER , $35 by Chuck Benson, from Sierra On-Line. Versions for 64 and VIC.
Machine Language. Optional joystick. Good 90-day warranty (then $5) .
REVIEW fl ; I'd call this "official" FROGGER the second best computer game
I've ever seen, right behind CHOPLIFTER for VIC. It's vastly better than LOGGER
and ROAD TOAD (see separate review) , and nearly all non-f rogger type games. It
has everything; and all beautifully drawn. It's very wholesome, though not
exactly safe. Screen motion on the screen is constant and intricate, characters
are colorful and detailed, and the continuously changing music is superb. The
only drawback is its control. It allows keyboard or joystick control, but could
not properly read "up" on either of my joysticks. To play the game, I had to
reverse "down" and "up". As for difficulty, it has two speeds, slow and fast.
This is a game the whole family can enjoy. Highly recommended. -JS
REVIEW #2 : To date, the best transfer of an arcade favorite to the
Commodore 64 that's available on diskette AND cassette. Manuever your frog
across a busy highway onto a rushing river filled with turtles and logs.
Constant action, excellent music, and colorful use of sprite graphics, make this
game a MUST for the arcaders in your family. Highly recommended. -JO
REVIEW t3 : Good instructions. Excellent sound (two different tunes and
action sounds to avoid monotony) . Music can also be turned off separately,
leaving only action sounds present. Has pause control and easy rerun control.
Hi-res graphics. Excellent drawings of sprite action figures (frog, crocodiles,
snakes, flies, turtles). Bright vivid colors. Selectable speed. May be a
little slow for some. My first game that I felt was worth the money. It had
much sweat and thought put into its refinements. It's the favorite of all our
games. I fear the diskette may soon wear out. -Herb Gross
GRIDRUNNER , $40 cartridge from Human Engineered Software.
Identical to the VIC 20 version ( M/P #ll) , except that the 64's 40 column
screen makes the game more difficult. Takes full advantage of the SID chip to
produce outstanding sound effects. To reach the highest scores you may need a
trackball, rather than a joystick. After Grid 7 the game gets very hectic. The
best arcade game I've seen for the 64. Outstanding, -Gordon Watson
JAWBREAKER , $30 from Sierra-Vision.
An original computer game by the people who brought you FROGGER (tm) - but
altered from the original version that Atari (tm) tried to sue them over for
looking like PACMAN(tm). It's still a good game. You eat pieces of candy on a
moving vertically-oriented maze and avoid jawbreakers. After eating one of four
special candy pieces, you can chomp on jawbreakers for extra points. Clear a
screen, and your teeth are brushed. Ten skill levels and EXCELLENT background
music; your younger children will love it! Recommended for children under 10. -JO
JUPITER JUMPMAN , from EPYX. Requires 1541 disk and joystick. DOS protected. No
warranty.
REVIEW #1 : JUPITER JUMPMAN is a game of girders, ladders and ropes for a
player to run and jump on while grabbing targets and avoiding anything that
moves. The idea is to defuse a space station full of bombs - a fairly wholesome
and life-affirming game. The only blood shed is your own. JUMPMAN 's 30
different levels are hardly boring, except while waiting for the next level to
load from disk. Up to 4 can play, sharing 1 joystick. Automatically records 20
top regular and bonus scores on diskette. (Unfortunately, this takes time.)
Good sound, though it eventually annoyed me. Footing is important; falling eats
up one of your 7 lives. Baddies to avoid include bullets that change direction
in mid-flight, random robots, dropping bombs, and rolling eggs. I especially
like choosing which level, and having enough "lives" to sample more than one
The Midnite/PAPER 37 #13 June-July 1983
board per game. I've barely seen half this game yet, but if the unseen levels
match those I've seen, I highly recommend it.-JS
REVIEW #2 ; Outstanding use of graphics and sound. Here's a game that has
all I've been waiting for - beautiful graphics, catchy tunes, a complete arcade
feel all the way through, thirty levels of play, eight different speeds, and five
ways to play the game. In addition, the theme is relatively non-violent. The
object in most levels is to collect bombs scattered about your "space station,"
which is a varying maze of girders and ladders. Only three levels have you
destroy whatever's chasing you; the others encourage survival. Each level is
completely different, not only in screen layout, but also in type of baddie
chasing you, and often in objective. Critters would have to jump out of the
screen and chase you around the room to impress me more than JUMPMAN. On a scale
of one to ten, it's at least a ten. -Bill McDannell
LOGGER , $20 cassette from Comm*Data. Protected. Requires joystick. Machine
language.
REVIEW #1 : Another arcade game take off. Nicely done with very good use of
sprites. Sound not used much. Looks easy, but you soon find out otherwise.
Offers faster second screen with a roving bear. This is the first game my wife
has showed much interest in. Recommended. -LW
REVIEW ♦2 : Uses hi-res. A version of FROGGER for one player. Nice 3-part
screen graphics before starting game. You help 3 loggers cross a busy highway,
and then cross the river by jumping from log to log or barrel, and finally jump
into one of five houses. After this screen, the traffic gets heavier and faster
and a moving bear blocks one of the house doors. Good sound and graphics.
Displays current and highest scores. Recommended. -Roy Wagner
METEOR MADNESS , $25 cassette or $30 diskette from Softplus. 1-4 players. DOS
protected. No warranty.
A rock-shooting game, more like STARFIGHTER than ASTEROIDS. You aim
crosshairs at approaching meteors and shoot when centered. If meteor is too
close, avoid it. Meteors come in all colors, and grow from tiny dots to huge
round blobs as they approach. Action gets very hectic on later boards. Good use
of perspective as meteors pass. Could be addictive; I quickly got it up to the
fourth board or so, but it seemed to have several more levels. I appreciated
shooting at inanimate objects to save Earth, rather than threatening aliens.
It's able to use either joystick "either way up"--a good approach others should
use. It could use more sound and some detail on the surface of the meteors.
Also, side view on third board doesn't fit scenario, but did give a welcome
change of pace. Second opinion next time.-JS
MOTOR MAMIA Update , $30 cassette from United Microware Industries, Inc.
A deceptively difficult car race game, with decent graphics and sound
effects. Children (ages 10 and 13) found it difficult to keep the game going for
any period of time, which tended to frustrate them. A pleasant alternative to
space-war games. Cassette can be copied to diskette. Good, but not
outstanding. -Gordon Watson
NEUTRAL ZONE , $35 cassette or diskette from Access Software. Cassette port
dongle. Requires joystick. 1 or 2 players. Machine language.
REVIEW #1 : A shoot-em-up space adventure. The graphics are dazzling,
giving a true three-dimensional effect. Sound is very good, like you're in a
bowling alley. The view from your gunnery pod is a 360 degree wrap-around
panorama of space, complete with planets, asteroids, nebulae, and the mother
ship, as you defend your mother ship against attacking alien spacecraft. Fast
action; five levels of play; somewhat confusing scoring. If you're not a fan of
the kill-or-be-killed school, rate it 8 1/2; the graphics make it worth the
purchase price. If you're a fan, it's a definite 10. -Bill McDannell
REVIEW #2 ; You are assigned to a perimeter gunnery pad on ALPHA IV at the
outer edges of the galaxy, a long range early warning station whose mission is to
The Midnite/PAPER 38 #13 June-July 1983
detect alien intruders from other galaxies. NEUTRAL ZONE is a hi-res, fast
action (5 skill levels), and arcade quality game. This 100% machine language
software features smooth scrolling of the 360 degree panorama. All action is in
3-D, hi-res full color graphics with super sound effects. This game will become
the 64 game of the year. Very highly recommended. -Warren Gordon
PEARL DIVER , $25 cassette from Micro-Spec LTD.
Good use of graphics with a minimum of sound. Use your joystick to maneuver
your diver in a shark infested ocean to recover pearls from the jaws of clams.
Nice graphics but plays too slow. -JO
ROADTOAD , by Micro-80; $20 from Nibbles and Bits. Joystick required.
Similar to LOGGER, but harder. Another area to cross before jumping logs.
Has all kinds of creatures that will kill you. The little toad becomes a cross
when killed. Good graphics. Recommended. -NR
ROBBERS OF THE LOST TOMB , $25-35 diskette from Timeworks. Adventure game. 90
day warranty. Joystick optional. PETSPEED-compiled BASIC.
REVIEW tl : Your adventurer is inside a pyramid in ancient Egypt in search
of four lost tablets, walking around a room with numbered doors. A song is
played when you move him with the joystick or keyboard. Watch out for mummies,
snakes and especially flying ghosts that drop you off at different rooms. An
enjoyable game, but not heavy duty. -JO
REVIEW t2 ; Second only to Frogger for enjoyment AND careful programming.
Explore 5 levels of tombs in a pyramid, find four gold tablets and find your way
back out, while avoiding bottomless pits, deadly snakes and killer mummies, as
well as ghosts that carry you off. Protect yourself with knives which, if you're
fast enough, can kill mummies and snakes, but have no effect on ghosts or pits.
If you're lucky, you may find a Blue Stone to stop the mummies.
Graphic colors and instructions are all good, with 10 difficulty levels and
moving mummy options. Action sounds are believable enough to make your back
tingle. A charming Passover tune ("Dayenu") is played whenever the hero walks
(meaning "It is enough for us"). A lot a work was put into this game. Has a
pause as well as a save, fast and accurate joystick response, well drawn figures
that move well and complex, interesting sounds. Two improvements could be made:
add some wierd sounding Middle Eastern background music in the beginning as well
as during exploration, and add hieroglyphics to the blank walls of the numbered
rooms. If you don't have the game... get it. -Herb Gross
64 GAMBLERS PACK , diskette from Data Equipment Supply.
I have difficulty with the idea that any sort of gambling is an arcade game.'
Includes Casino/Draw Poker , Keno , Blackjack , and the only redeeming program Mind
Boggier . The gambling programs have some fair graphics (rather blocky) and some
music, usually on the title page. Sizeable sections of machine code are POKEd
into memory by the program. In Mind Boggier , you must guess the correct number
sequence. You are told how many numbers are correct and in the right location,
how many are correct, but in the wrong location, and how many are incorrect. A
nice program, but I can't say much for the others. -LW
TELENGARD , $24 cassette from Avalon Hill Microcomputer Games Division.
This program is a real sleeper. Most people aren't aware of the excellent
quality of Avalon Hill's games. Though most do not use graphics and sound,
TELENGARD is the exception, with 50 dungeon levels (each with over 4000 rooms) ,
10 different monsters, and 36 magical spells. You can get armor, shields,
swords, gold, silver, cloaks, boots, gems, jewels, rings for all occasions - plus
inns for resting and turning in your plunder, fountains of colored waters,
altars, misty cubes, teleports, thrones, and safes to crack for riches. With
excellent use of sprite graphics, surprising sound effects, real-time animation,
game playing time from a minute to days, I'm in my element. Even though it takes
a LONG time to load from cassette, I almost forgive them for protecting it from
The Midnite/PAPER 39 #13 June-July 1983
copying. I 've played many computer games in the last six years and TELENGARD
rates in my top ten of BEST. -JO
TEMPLE OF APSHAI , $40 from EPYX.
Excellent Dungeon and Dragons role playing game. Within the dungeon, you
are immersed into another world battling many baddies. Haggle with the innkeeper
for your supplies, and you're off to plunder the riches of Apshai. Very good use
of sprites, HIRES, and a little sound. As with the PET version, my only minor
complaint is the slowness of redrawing your immediate area of the screen. Highly
recommended. -JO
UPPER REACHES OF APSHAI , $20 from EPYX.
Continuation of the TEMPLE adventure with stronger and more numerous
monsters. To do battle in this one you must have purchased and survived the main
program, TEMPLE OF APSHAI. As with the Temple review, ditto. -JO
WALL STREET , $35 diskette from Timeworks. PETSPEED-compiled BASIC.
REVIEW tl : A good full stock market game. Nice graphics "ticker tape"
title page also gives changes in prices at the beginning of each quarter.
Includes a variety of investments and even a financial advisor that isn't always
right, but always gets his fee. Also offers some high risk special investments
from time to time. Some nice sound in places. Can save a game in progress on
disk. Recommended. -LW
REVIEW t2 ; True economic simulations are few and far between. WALL STREET
brings you an economic simulation that places you in the thick of buying and
selling stocks. Many variables are displayed to choose from, including charting
a company's stock progress. With speculative options like investing in movies,
oil wells, gold mines, plus your usual stock exchange, it'll give you many hours
of en joyment. -JO
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^Crafty SoNware from THE FOX"
FOX 20:™
The magazine for *VIC 20 users. On Cassette.
The all magnetic magazine with 5 or more original programs per month Game - Educational - Utility programs at an average cost of 88* per program. FOXTALES -
our video newsletter has Articles, Hints, Reviews and more. Delivered monthly to your door. Give your VIC 20 value and power with FOX 20.
Texas Residents add 5% Sales Tax $53/yr. U.S. $63/yr. Canada & Overseas $6.50 Single & Back Issues
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Forth* CooHiKMlora S4
The user affectionate sprite development program Menu-driven, mono/mulltcolor sprites, joystick/keytxiard, tape/disk, 20K w/FAST machine language
routines. Over 60 commands: ROTATE (any angle 0-360). INVERT/OBVERT, SHIFT, SYMMETRY, AND/OR REVERSE, REVIEW, MOVIE (animation). Create and
edit up to 1 28 sprites per file. For programming efficiency and FUN! Includes the Game Maker - automatically prepares a base tor game development.
Cassette $29.95 Disk $34.95
FOXPACS
Selected program collections for the VIC 20 and Commodore 64 - Games, Adventures, Educationals, Home Utilities, Programming Utilities, etc Each FOXPAC
contains 4 programs on individual cassettes. See catalog for descriptions.
$20.
All orders pre-paid (U.S. funds). Author and Dealer inquiries invited. Send for our free catalog for more information on these and other fine products.
Don't be outFOXed - Run with
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(71 3) 473-6723
A Division of Foxfire Systems. Inc.
*VIC 20 & Commodore 64 are trademarks of Commodore Business Machines, Inc.
The Midnite/PAPER 40 #13 June-July 1983
Interfaces
CARD? Update , $80 from Cardco. Centronics parallel printer interface to serial
bus, for all VIC's and 64's. Full warranty.
REVIEW tl : We've had more mail on the CARD? than any other popular product
we've tested. Several mention one little problem or other, but go on to say how
the company took care of it immediately. To test it, we bought a SELECTONE
TYPEWRITER (reviewed in the previous section) . Selectone had given up on a VIC
and 64 version of their typewriter, after failing to interface successfully. On
learning this, we sent them our CARD? Not only did it work, but Selectone placed
a large order for CARD?'s to sell with their typewriter. Rather than duplicate
what others have said below, I'll just add that CARD? is an excellent product,
with excellent support, and an excellent price. Highly recommended. -JS
REVIEW ♦2 ; Besides the 1541, I have a VIC, a 64, and an Epson MX-80FT
printer. I am quite happy with my CARD? interface. I have had two problems
using the interface. FIRST: My original CARD? would occasionally cause the disk
drive to lock up while accessing the disk during printing. I spoke to Steve at
Cardco who said he had received chips with the wrong serial transfer rate. If I
sent in the disf unctional one, he would return an interface that worked correctly
(tested by himself) . I shipped by UPS and received a new interface within the
week. SECOND: The new interface and the disk drive get along very well;
however, the Epson kept adding an extra line feed after each carriage return
(giving double spacing with standard OPEN statements) . This was no problem on my
own programs, but was annoying on programs I have bought. I called Cardco again,
on a Friday. Steve explained the problem lay in Cardco's practice of grounding
all unused leads, including the Epson's pin 14. The next Monday I received a
schematic showing the proper lead to cut. Cardco is to be commended on their
prompt service and help. I highly recommend the CARD? interface. -Wayne Mathews
REVIEW #3 : The interface is the last cable in any daisy-chain out of the
serial port, and is set up as device number 4, switchable permanently to 5, if
desired. A thin wire cable with the cassette port plug is used as a power
pickoff for printers that require an external power source supplied by the
computer. The cassette plug tip has an extender plug on its rear to allow normal
cassette operation with the plug installed. Has the ability to switch modes of
translation between the Commodore computer and the non-Commodore printer.
[By using only] a IK ROM chip in the interface, [certain] limitations were
imposed on "listings" that replace reverse-video non-printing PRINT or PRINT#
statement control characters (CHR$ 0-31 or 128-159, plus the SHIFTED SPACE at
CHR$(160) with a two-letter abbreviation enclosed in braces. However, my manual
did not correctly show the abbreviations. [The company] indicated that manual
was being corrected, however. This affects: A) All codes indicated as "not
used" in the CHR$ table; B) shifted space and shifted return; C) upper case and
lower case print order; D) disable and enable shif ted-COMMODORE key keyboard
function; E) any of the F1-F8 function keys; and F) the second set of eight color
changes with the COMMODORE Key on the 64. Also, all color changes within the
eight VIC/64 common colors are merely indicated by CC in braces, while the Insert
and Delete functions are lumped together under ID in braces. These apply ONLY to
listings, but the lack of the second set of eight colors for the 64, especially,
is a distinct limitation. (I do not know what other interface manufacturers have
done in this area, so I cannot compare. ) -Nathan Okun
CX-6401 PARALLEL PRINTER INTERFACE ,
VIC. No warranty in package.
$90 from ECX Computer Company. For 64 and
The Midnite/PAPER
41
#13 June-July 1983
Connects to computer or disk drive serial port leaving the user port free
for modem, etc. Compatible with any Centronics printer interface, but needs a
+5V power supply from pin 18. Epson, Smith Corona and the NEC Spinwriter do not
supply this, although instructions are included on how to adapt these printers to
supply the necessary power. Switchable between upper case only (for program
listings, etc. -- does not translate cursor control codes), and upper/lower case
for word processing. Translates PET ASCII to TRUE ASCII. The four page
instruction manual is a disgrace. My copy was just that - a copy - that in
places was almost unreadable, although it does contain all pertinent information.
If ECX cleans up the manual, this appears to be a good product. -Gordon Watson
MICRO WORLD ELECTRONIX MODEL MW-302 INTERFACE , $120 from Micro World. Serial bus
to parallel printer interface.
PREVIEW : About 4 feet of serial cable and 2 feet of parallel cable. Worked
well on a WORDPRO printout to the Epson MX-80 printer. Has 4 switches with
unknown functions. Proportional spacing, underlining, enhanced width, use as
device 4-7, 7 or 8 bit output, flips from ASCII to PET ASCII. Has instructions
for hardware modifications to various printers. Seemed fine.-JS
Monitors
CBM 1701 COLOR MONITOR , $300 from Commodore.
REVIEW fl : Has usual controls behind door on bottom of front, along with
plug-in 12-13". Appears compact and squarish. No sparkles, some rainbow with
white characters. As good as my Panasonic Omni color TV/monitor, with slightly
larger screen. -JS
REVIEW #2 : A very nice monitor. Comes with cable in the box, ready to
hook-up (nice touch). We'll have to wait for the next generation of 64's to see
if the CHROMA signal on the new 8 pin video DIN plug, when plugged into the
CHROMA jack on the back of the 1701 MONITOR, together with the Luminence plug,
actually provides a significantly improved video image. Meanwhile, the supplied
cable provides a COMPOSITE video plug for a jack in the front (why the front?) of
the monitor. Audio is a separate jack in the front. All video controls are
concealed under an easily-accessible front panel, and they all (except volume)
have a detent setting that you don't change. If I turn down the brightness, I
get a very good black screen with white characters (shades of my old PET) with
POKE 53280,0: POKE 53281,0 (in direct mode) followed by CONTROL/2. Will some
video guru tell us how to SAFELY tap the old 64's CHROMA signal to feed this
monitor. Is it worth the effort to improve an already acceptable image? I still
cannot tell if the 1701's horizontal resolution is a full 320. The manual is not
very technical and has fewer specifications than digital watches. -Gary Stone
Other Equipment :
E-P-ROM , $7-10 (Canadian) from Richvale Telecommunications. EPROM carrier.
A small E-P-ROM Carrier (to design your own cartridges). $7 is board only;
$10 includes case. Well made, easy to use and good looking. Recommended. -JS
See reviews of the following products under CBM/PET hardware reviews;
BRANDING IRON Update . EPROM programmer.
GEMINI-10 PRINTER , $350-420 from many dealers. Dot matrix printer.
SEIKO GX100 PRINTER (BANANA) , $249 from Leading Edge. Dot matrix.
SELECTONE TYPEWRITER , $695 from Selectone. Olivetti Praxis daisy-wheel
electronic typewriter with Centronics parallel interface.
TYMAC UNIVERSAL TAPE INTERFACE , $50 from Micro-Ware Distributing Inc.
TRS-80 LINE FILTER , $50 from Radio Shack.
The Midnite/PAPER 42 #13 June-July 1983
AUTO-TERM 64 Preview, from C.E.M. Needs disk. Price and warranty unknown.
A nice autodialer attachment for the VICMODEM. Hooks to cassette port
without feed-through for cassette drive. Software is a revision of Steve
Punter's TERMINAL program. Works well as a dialer, and I understand plans are
underway to let it auto-answer as well. Tested prototype was well made.-JS
I
I
I
Commodore 64 Music Reviews
SYMTHY-64 , by Roy Wainwright; $30 from Abacus.
REVIEW #1 : Another addition to BASIC to make music programming easier.
Includes TRACE function to allow you to view all music registers as music is
being played. I may have encountered a bug, but Abacus says no one else has
reported the problem. On at least 3 copies of SYNTHY-64, a volume setting of 8
shuts almost all sound off. Aside from that, I highly recommend it.-BMD
REVIEW #2 ; An entirely new language; surprisingly simple, yet
complete, easy and fun to use. Allows stanza repeats using brackets. Uses
one time signature (4/4), but tempo (T) command [changes it]. Doesn't
measures for composing music. Ties two notes together with backarrow. Its
exciting feature is three-voice mode. "+", "-" and British Pound sign indicate
which voice is to play which note. Lets you print to the screen, input
information, and offers five user callable instruments. Has easy setting of
waveforms, AD/SR, and other features not in the users manual, such as ring
modulators and resonance registers. My only disappointment: I could find no way
to set the low pulse for the variable pulse wareform; only the high pulse. I
STRONGLY recommend SYNTHY-64 to all 64 owners. VERY good instruction
very
only
use
most
manual. -Bill Cook ( Hardcopy )
MINI-COUNT VI. , from Optimized Data Systems.
See review under CBM/PET Science Reviews.
MULTILAB , $239 from Metaresearch. Scientific instrument controller. Includes
software, documentation, card, cable, and external manual-prototyping board.
Users can add a single card to VIC 20 or Commodore 64 computers to get a
number of software-controlled instruments [for intelligent test equipment and
automated process control]. MULTILAB can mimic a multi-channel oscilloscope with
a bandwidth of up to 100 Hz, a frequency synthesizer, audio function generator,
autoranging voltmeters, ohmmeters, impedance bridges, and four-channel, 10-bit
analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters with sample-and-hold options.
MULTILAB building blocks [to control instrumentation functions] include a
function generator, voltage-reference block, 10-bit d-a converter, latched TTL
output block, precision comparator, analog multiplexer, and auxiliary amplifier.
The block inputs and outputs are presented at a 40-line connector, taken through
a flat cable to the MULTILAB work area or manual proto-typing board [and]
solder[ed] in. MULTILAB comes with a special universal program to which the user
adds about 20 lines of BASIC code to turn the program into a voltmeter program or
a frequency-counter program. - Electronics Newsletter
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#13 June-July 1983
SCREEN GRAPHICS 64 , $25 from Abacus. Graphic aid.
By far the hottest program here. Adds commands to BASIC to aid graphics,
including multi color, hi-res, and sprites. Includes a thorough manual, stunning
demonstration program, and a very good disk tutorial. SCREEN GRAPHICS 64 is now
a permanent part of my own library - mostly because it's a lot of fun to play
with. Some advice to Abacus: forget the games and stick with stuff like this.
You do a much better job with it.-BMD
SYNTHY-64 , $30 from Abacus.
See under Commodore 64 Music Reviews.
SYSRES(64) , $80-95 from Solidus International. Programmer's aid. Requires 1541,
2031, or 4040 disk. Printer optional. DOS protected. Anti-warranty.
SYSRES created quite a furor in Midnite when first released for PET/CBM
models last year. Some readers felt it was the best programmer's aid of all, and
others (including me) preferred POWER combined with POWER-AID. My reasoning was
that, regardless of options, having a protected utility program that wipes memory
if it detects "tampering" is dangerous, and inferior to a ROM-protected program.
Each had equally valuable commands the other lacked. But the 64 situation is
different. Although POWER is out for the 64, ATUG ' s POWER-AID program that made
it a match for SYSRES has not been converted. I've also not seen its competitor,
VICTREE, for comparison. (VICTREE owners seem numerous and happy.)
SYSRES is an excellent program. Unless you want your programmer's aid in
ROM, SYSRES should be entirely adequate, though it lacks internal documentation
that helped Arthur Cochrane add POWER-AID to POWER. Though it must be loaded
from disk for each use, it doesn't destroy a BASIC program already in memory
(great, because you want to load it after a program crashes!). On the 64, SYSRES
hides itself behind BASIC, leaving all RAM free, except one page of memory at
$C000. Includes a utility to relocate a CBM competitor program for that space.
Diskette supplied doesn't run SYSRES, but rather creates it on another
diskette. Like a genie, it gives you 3 chances to make a spare "virgin" (never
formatted) diskette. It creates a different version using RTC ' s C-LINK and 4040
drive than when using a 1541 alone. If you use your 64 both ways, make 1 copy
for each version with your best diskettes, and don't use the wrong version.
What does SYSRES do? 1) As an editor, it: edits sequential files from
BASIC like CBM's EDITOR/ASSEMBLER, scrolls listings both up and down, copies the
screen to a printer, and gets out of the way when a program RUNs (to keep the
program from running too slowly). 2) It adds to Bob Fairbairn's old PET/CBM DOS
support ("@L" lists a file from disk without loading it into program memory, and
"*" dumps the output of other commands to a file or printer). 3) It includes an
improved version of Commodore's old 2K BASIC AID, plus new commands: EXEC "run"s
a sequential file as though typing on the keyboard; GET loads a sequential file;
KEY defines keys for special functions; and OLD undoes a NEW. Best among the
improved commands: RENUMBER changes some or all line numbers in a program;
CHANGE has 700 combinations of sub-options and is easier to use with info inside
quote marks than POWER'S equivalent command; MERGE mixes programs line by line.
Also modifies standard commands: CLOSE undoes any current CMD commands; CMD no
longer sends "ready." to files; LIST formats programs with good structure; and
RUN ignores garbage on the screen. MON exits BASIC to a machine-language
monitor. Also includes several versions of EXTRAMON, our #2 favorite. Last, but
not least, SYSRES sets the screen to a pleasant green on black with grey border
at power-up. Now that I have SYSRES, I may quit doing all my development work
for the 64 on a CBM. My tools were much better on the CBM before; now I'm not so
sure. Recommended. -JS
The Midnite/PAPER
44
#13 June-July 1983
J
VIC 20 REVIEWS
1
"Assembler, "
not include
FRENCH SILK ASSEMBLER Update , by Don French,
So far I am quite pleased with the performance of the "Editor,"
"loader," "Disassembler" and "Monitor." My cassette version does
disk versions of these programs (one of my gripes) . The documentation in the
manual is good, but could use a lot more examples. Another helpful item would be
a command summary for all programs printed. Constantly flipping back and forth
to find something has almost destroyed my copy. Still, I am generally satisfied
and would recommend the French Silk ASSEMBLER to others. -Darrell R. Sage
LEROY'S CHEAT SHEETS , VIC Keyboard overlays^ ^-^ -FrD/w Ch«^^K<^ ProdUc+s .
Are plastic-coated cards that slip over the VIC keyboard after you cut out
the center of the sheet where indicated. The sheets are printed with job aid
information about the program or cartridge they go with. The one tested was for
Commodore's SUPER EXPANDER cartridge. The sheets seemed a bit too lightweight
and flexible for my taste, but more important, they didn't include enough
information to make me want to clutter up the top of my computer with one. I'd
get more good out of a 3 by 5 card taped to the wall behind the VIC. However the
idea is good. This kind of aid is needed, and fits well on VIC. I'd just like a
slightly more sturdy product and a lot more information on the aid.-JS
$10 from P. M. Products,
Programmer's aid
PAL (Programmers Aids & Logs) ,
worksheets.
This series of worksheets offers something for everyone from beginner to
expert. Includes the following sheets: 1) A BASIC crib sheet lists valid BASIC
words and simple POKE'S for screen, color and sound mounts above the top row of
keys (I'd have liked it better in plastic). 2) A double sheet defines keyword
with an example of use. 3) On the back side of my personal favorite, an EZ FLOW
flowcharting worksheet, is printed a list of program variable names and uses,
data file names, numbers and uses, starting line numbers, and purpose of
subroutines. 4) A simple color chart shows what to POKE 36879 with for various
border and background colors. 5) EZ Graph shows sets of graphic characters, and
screen layout form for POKEs to screen and color memory on 5K and 16K VIC's. 6)
EZ Note is a simple chart of POKE locations and numbers for 3 octaves of music.
7) EZ Key gives PETSCII and keyboard matrix PEEKs for each key. 8) Worksheets
create programmable characters sets and log cassette program locations. 9) Only
3 sheets seemed wasted: the programming sheet allows only 44 columns per line,
the software listing largely duplicates the cassette log, and the hints page
isn't as usable as a 3x5" card file. Recommended to any VIC owner who wants to
learn programming. -JS
The Midnite/PAPER
45
#13 June-July 1983
Word Processors and Text Editors
QUICK BROWM FOX Update , -Pn-m Quxkk: Bf«iun fbj^ .
Everything you said about the QUICK BROWN FOX is true, and more. The manual
is confusing. You get a general one plus notes for your particular computer.
It's extremely difficult to plug the cartridge into the rear slot, but it plugs
easily into the expander board (and don't forget to wrap the ribbon cable with
foil). On power-up, you have closer to 1500 bytes free with the unexpanded VIC,
because any editing takes up space. The QBF will so far not support the GEMINI
printer, and I would not recommend it for any printer using the parallel port.
To print, I wrote a program that reads the QBF saved files, but this is a big
inconvenience. I contacted QBF, but they didn't know what to do. -Harold Miller
TOTL.TEXT 2.5 Update (old non-chickspeed version), -fA^m ToTL .Sof-f-oja.r£. .
I'm typing this letter on my VIC using TOTL.TEXT 2.5. They offer upgrades
of TOTL.TEXT at reduced rates for registered owners; however, they will not
upgrade the 2.5 (VIC version) to 2.6 (64 version). Anyway, I've ordered the 64
version so that I can use my VIC text files on the 64. Generally Totl has been
both responsive and prompt; however, delivery on 2.6 has been a little slower
than usual. I also have purchased WORDPRO 3, but my original copy of it would
not load (file not found), nor could I load the directory off the disk. I hope
that the problem was a bad disk and not secondary to the copy protection scheme.
By the way, TOTL.TEXT does not program around the level 2 BASIC printing bug
(no line feed after a null Print#) in the version that I have,, but this is
easily fixed, and reportedly has been fixed on newer copies. The Microspec Data
Base apparently has the same problem, but since it is compiled, the fix is not so
simple. I have not heard back from them on this point. -Wayne Mathews
WORD WIZARD , $35 from Micro-Ware Distributing. Machine-language. On cassette,
can use disk. Needs 8K expander. Anti-warranty.
WORD WIZARD is the cheapest all machine-language text editor I've seen. It
is simple and fast, and far more convenient than competitors requiring line
numbers. It moves the cursor by joystick or with the usual VIC editing keys.
Included stick-on job aids allowed me to work even before reading the
mostly-adequate manual. WORD WIZARD'S few advanced editing features include:
search, delete-word, and restore-deleted-block. It also warns me before clearing
all text, unlike a costly competitor. On the other hand, TAB is missing.
Formatting is simple but adequate, including centering, page numbers,
justifications, and 4-way margins, but not bold-face or underlining. Having a
red current line and an orange border is jarring, but other colors are pleasant.
I still can't print both upper and lower-case properly through my CARD/?
interface and SELECTONE printer, despite commands to use any ASCII character.
(See separate reviews under Commodore 64 Hardware Reviews.) To get around this,
I may need the simple user port parallel interface built into the program.
Meanwhile, the program is a bargain for those with VIC printers. -JS
WORDCRAFT 20 , $200 with 8K RAM built-in, $100 without added RAM. From UMI.
Cartridge word processor.
I was only able to look at this briefly at a dealer's, but that was enough
to reinforce my earlier impression that this is the Cadillac of VIC text editors
(and very likely the only one worthy of being called a word processor.) Despite
the Vic's tiny screen, WC20 formatted text into full-width lines, using
horizontal scrolling as needed. Unlike EASY SCRIPT for the 64, it scrolls a
The Midnite/PAPER
46
#13 June-July 1983
readable 10 characters at one clip, and uses the usual cursor-left to get back to
the right end of the prior line. Like WORDSTAR, it formats its text on the
screen immediately, so what you see is what you get - not my favorite approach,
but others seem to like it. Though I didn't have time to test them, the manual
lists the usual commands and format options you expect in a word processor.
Another valuable feature is that WC20 files can be used by WORDCRAFT on the CBM,
s that cheap VIC's can act as remote entry terminals for Commodore's best. Until
the new ly-rumoured VIC version of WORDPRO is released, this is the one to beat,
especially if you already have added memory and can get by with the $100
version. -JS
REVIEW t2 ; I find that WORDCRAFT 20 is as "friendly" to use as WORDCRAFT
80, which I use extensively. You are able to save to either disk or tape, simply
by telling WORDCRAFT which one you will be using when you bring the program up.
Commands and controls are easy to understand and use. WORDCRAFT 20 does all that
WORDCRAFT 80 does, except headers and trailers. Since the VIC has a 20 column
screen, WORDCRAFT 20 gives you the option to set your margins for a normal 80
column page and then scrolls horizonally. I find this particular feature drives
me nutty, so I choose not to use it. I prefer to use the "small" screen to type
the material in, and then set my margins to normal 80 column width just for
printing. All in all, I found it a powerful wordprocessing program. The only
draw back I see is the price. But if VIC owners want a "real" wordprocessor for
their machine, I would definitely recommend WORDCRAFT 20. -C.J. Donovan
VIC 20 Compiler Reviews
3
TINY COMPILER , from Aardvark-80.
TINY COMPILER changes BASIC
programs into machine language
programs that will run much faster
and use less memory. Among this
compiler's limitations: You are
only allowed 30 lines of BASIC code
for use with the compiler program
and ...a subset of BASIC because
this compiler does not support the
full VIC BASIC. The biggest single
limitation... was deciphering the
instructions. What a mess! Someone
put a lot of effort into writing the
program. It's a shame that the same
effort wasn't put into the
instructions.
Don't buy this program strictly
as a compiler because of its
limitations. However, I would
recommend this program to anyone
interested in teaching themselves to
program in machine language. Just
type in a short BASIC program,
following the compiler rules, and
run the compiler program. Now you
have a BASIC program and its machine
language equivalent. -Steve Carman
( Hardcopy )
ATTEIMTIOIVI
PROGRAMMERS!!
DATASOFT is currently seeking programs and
programmers to add to their rapidly growing
and expanding operation. A leading marketer
and developer of personal computer software,
DATASOFT offers experienced assembly-
language programmers the opportunity to join
their staff to develop and translate arcade
games such as ZAXXON™, as well as to author
original material for their games, education and
home management product lines. DATASOFT
pays competitive salaries, plus bonuses based
on product performance. Relocation assistance
is available, if needed.
If you have working knowledge of Atari, Apple,
Tl, or Commodore operating systems, graphics,
animation and sound, call or write the Product
Development Department at:
M
OODS
"^^^ COMPUTER SOnWARE
9421 Winnetka Ave,
Chatsworth, CA9131 1
(213) 701- 5161 / (800) 423-5916
ZAXXON and SEGA are registered trademarks of Sega Enterprises.
DATASOFT is a registered trademark of Datasoft, Inc.
The Midnite/PAPER
47
#13 June-July 1983
BEYOND II , from Foxfire Systems.
A question and answer game. Well written and stimulates the imagination as
you play along. [Similar to] DEATHSHIP, by Aardvark. Both are highly
recommended to anyone who enjoys reading a good book. -Hank Mroczkowksi ( Hardcopy )
GRAVE ROBBERS , $15 from Victory Software.
The picture is all you see, even with the "LOOK" command. It makes
excellent use of the graphic and sound capabilities of the VIC with a good
representation of a thunderstorm in a graveyard. You can only see when the
lightning flashes. It took me about four hours to solve and my eight year old
son, Joel, about one week to get where he is with very little help from me (about
half way). It's most pleasing to see him use the dictionary. -Hank Mroczkowski
( Hardcopy )
KONGO KONG , $20 from Victory Software.
It's good! Most of the program is in BASIC
speed the play to rival that of the arcade version
as Commodore's NIGHT DRIVER, or JUPITER LANDER. -Hank
with enough machine code to
[DONKEY KONG] . As addictive
Mroczkowski ( Hardcopy )
PIRATE ADVENTURE , $35 cartridge from Commodore.
The theme of the game is very similar to ADVENTURELAND ADVENTURE. To win
the game, you must locate and recover two treasures left on Treasure Island by
Long John Silver. I haven't gotten that far yet. These adventure games are the
most fun I've had with my VIC. I highly recommend any of the Adventure
cartridges. ADVENTURELAND ADVENTURE even got my wife using the computer to play
the game, a feat I couldn't do. These games sell for about $35 at most any place
that sells Commodore products. -Scott Adams ( Hardcopy )
HAM DATA, SUPER LOG I
I am an amateur radio operator "HAM," and
I use the VIC-20 for just about everything I
do, from sending code to logging. I just got
the HAM DATA, Super Log I. The menu has load,
view, add, change, search, save, and end. It
features Auto-time, Auto date, Fwd/Rev scan,
Graphics, saves all std log entries, 4-way
search, QSL update, auto memory adjust, self
prompting, minimum 3K expansion. I use this
to keep up with my radio contacts and cards
sent out and received. It is easy to use,
with a very good manual. They also will do
some custom programming for you. I find this
log program to be very complete and really
easy to search back and find an old contact
which was made. -Fred Jones (WA4SWF, 511 Lackey
Av. , Louisa KY 41230) [Fred didn't say where
to get this product; write him or "call" him
if you're interested. -ES]
The Banner Machine^"
For the Commodore 64 (5 fonts available)
For the VIC-20 with 24K memory
For the TRS-80 I & 111 with 32K tape or 48K disk
Use on any Epson MX with Graftrax or the FX printer
Uses dot graphics instead of TRS-80 block graphics
• Menu-driven program operates like a word processor
Makes signs up to 10" tall by any length
Makes borders of variable width up to ^4 inch
Commodore: 8 sizes of letters from Vi" to S'/z" high
TRS-80: 10 sizes of letters from Vi" to 8" high
Proportional spacing
Automatic centering: Right and left justifying
Order The Banner Machine^"' -S49.95 fiom
Virginia Micro Systems
13646 Jeff Davis Highway
Woodbndge, Virginia 22191
Phone (703) 491-6502
The Midnite/PAPER
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#13 June-July 1983
Memory Expansion Boards
CARDBOARD 6 , $100 from Cardco. 6-slot expansion interface board.
This board is far superior to the 3-slot version. There are two switches
for each of six slots (so you can switch in just the 3K memory on a SUPER
EXPANDER if all you need is extra memory) and a reset switch. They don't mention
this, but certain cartridges may not work unless the entire ribbon cable is
wrapped in aluminum foil (especially true for QUICK BROWN FOX cartridge) .-Harold
Miller
Other Equipment
For any VIC. Full 90
AUTO CLOCK , $130 from Progressive Peripherals & Software,
day guarantee.
REVIEW tl : I've long wanted to hook a clock to my 8032, never expecting my
VIC would get one first. On power-up or reset, AUTO CLOCK automatically sets TI$
to the correct time, and can trigger either a visual and vocal alarm or a 300
watt device at any preset time up to the useful life of its built-in battery (1-3
years) . It also has 2K of battery-powered CMOS memory that can store a program
to be restored and run in the computer on power-up. That program can then modify
and save itself to the battery-memory, reset the alarm to another time, and
switch the computer off until alarm time. It also has a manual control.
To assure accuracy, the unit is crystal-controlled, with a small adjusting
capacitor. Construction quality is also excellent, with gold contacts, a
plated-thru board and fully-socketed construction. However, anyone who didn't
understand the last sentence may need help using this product, because you must
unscrew the case and solder 4 wires and a resistor to make it work. FD found a
unique way to open the case--dropping it on a tiled cement floor. You connect
the unit by cutting either the wire from the VIC power supply or an ordinary
attached extension cord in half, and connect it back up through the AUTO CLOCK.
Comes with 4K of built-in programming, to do all the above, plus easily set
and read clocks and alarms from BASIC or machine-language. It can also
continuously display the time at any screen location and in any color (until you
need to use the cassette.) For the forgetful, AUTO CLOCK will also tell you the
day of the week, days in the month, and leap year information. The two main
limits are 1) the need to solder before using it, and 2) it "lives" in the
same memory as many cartridge games. Expansion boards that allow you to switch
the clock out temporarily are also plentiful (see review of Precison Technology's
motherboard.) It is unfortunate that VIC accessories now cost more than the
computer itself, but $130 is not unreasonable for such a product. Similar Apple
products sell for $250 and up. After only one day of use, my recommendation is
tentative, but enthusiastic. (Look for a follow-up later.) Recommended. -JS
REVIEW #2 : In the questionable category of new products is the AUTO CLOCK
board for the VIC from Progressive Peripherals and Software. The plug-in card
contains a battery powered clock/calendar to maintain current time when the VIC
is powered off and has 2K of programmable storage of its own and the ability to
power the VIC up at a preset time and automatically run a program. Use of this
board will probably allow you to create a very sophisticated alrm or home control
system. But you can buy another VIC for the price of this board - $129.95. (It
will soon be available for the 64, too.) -JKJ ( OCCUG Newsletter )
The Midnite/PAPER
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#13 June-July 1983
See reviews of the following products under CBM/PET hardware reviews
Commodore 64 Hardware Reviews:
BRANDING IRON Update . EPROM programmer.
E-P-ROM , $7-10 from Richvale Telecommunications. EPROM carrier.
CBM 1701 COLOR MONITOR , $300 from Commodore.
GEMINI-10 PRINTER , $350-420 from many dealers. Dot matrix printer.
SEIKO GX100 PRINTER (BANANA) , $249 from Leading Edge. Dot matrix.
SELECTONE TYPEWRITER , $695 from Selectone. Olivetti Praxis daisy-wheel
electronic typewriter with Centronics parallel interface.
CARD? , $80 from Cardco. Centronics parallel/serial printer interface.
CX-6401 PARALLEL PRINTER INTERFACE , $90 from ECX Computer Company.
TYMAC UNIVERSAL TAPE INTERFACE , $50 from Micro-Ware Distributing Inc.
TRS-80 LINE FILTER, $50 from Radio Shack.
or
THE VIC-NIC NEWS , bi-monthly, $6 per year from The Byte House.
8 page newsletter consisting of several brief listings, a page of reviews, a
crossword puzzle, some ads, a question column, and errata. A decent price from
friendly folks, but what is a VIC-NIC7-JS
Sample from a column labeled "Ask Dennis", by Dennis McCormack:
Q. Is a 40/80 character/line adapter worth the expense ? TA Stevens, El Paso TX
A. The disadvantages of having such an option seem to outweigh the advantages.
If you are using a color TV set, you will find that smaller characters are not as
crisp because the convergence must be perfect for reproduction... Also few
programs will run without disconnecting the adapter.
MINI-COUNT VI. , from Optimized Data Systems.
See review under CBM/PET Science Reviews.
MULT I LAB , $239 from Metaresearch. Scientific instrument controller. Includes
software, documentation, card, cable, and external manual-prototyping board.
See review under Commodore 64 Science Reviews.
GRAPHVICS , $25 cassette or diskette from Abacus. 3K expansion needed.
Very much like SCREEN GRAPHICS 64. Tape includes one version for VIC with
3K expansion, another for 8K or more. Includes beautiful demo program, but no
tutorial like the
64 version - as a matter of fact,
tucks itself away in memory and
recommended. -BMD
64's. Has a thorough manual. This is every bit as good as the
easier to use. Main program
by a SYS command. Highly
I think it's even
is then accessed
PROGRAMMERS AID CARTRIDGE
This is really a very good software to get. It has helped me alot in
programming and is really a good fast time saver, too. It takes a while to get
used to the key functions, but once you get past that, it's features are just
really great. I like the auto line number
it's features are
feature the best. -Fred Jones
The Midnite/PAPER
50
#13 June-July 1983
ROM RABBIT , $50 from Eastern Software House. 2K machine language EPROM.
WM RABBIT is not just another plug-in board for the VIC 20. It is a
machine language utility program that allows you to load or save an 8K program in
about 30 seconds [instead of] 3 minutes. I haven't had a bad load yet. The
utility EPROM also contains several other useful commands available whenever the
ROM RABBIT is activated. A [bit] memory test feature tells you exactly where a
problem exists. It also contains a Hex to decimal routine, a Decimal to hex
routine, and a RABBIT to VIC BASIC [routine] . The normal VIC load and save are
still available even when the rabbit was installed. It [also] provides a
piggyback expansion connector on the rear of the plug-in board that will allow
you to plug in any other cartridge not requiring block 3 in memory. It has been
available for the PET for several years and seems to have passed the test of
reliability. A single disk drive takes about 22 seconds to load an 8K program
and the ROM RABBIT takes 32 seconds; that's a high price for only 10 seconds
improvement. -Steve Garmon ( Hardcopy )
VIC-TREE Update , $90 from Skyles Electric Works.
It is an invaluable aid in the development of software for this system. It
is everything it claims to be. With their parallel printer interface connected
to the GEMINI 10, I can do dot-addressable graphics, backspacing, underlining and
much more. It's worth every cent. I have discovered only one glitch so far: It
is supposed to be transparent to the SUPER EXPANDER, but after performing a DSAVE
(Save to Disk) , the function keys no longer generate the SUPER EXPANDER keywords,
and the computer may crash if you then press one of the function keys. -Harold
Miller
It's Time for
TOTL SOFTWARE!
for the VIC 20™ and COMMODORE 64™
WORD PROCESSING AND MAILING LIST & LABEL
now available with ^^WMW^^Wf^^W%^^^^W\
FAST PRINTING • LIGHTNING LOADS • SIMPLE COMMANDS
TOTLTEXT 2.0 + CS VIC + 8K expansion $25.00
TOTL.TEXT 2.5 + CS VIC + 16K expansion $35.00
TOTL.TEXT 2.6 + CS Commodore 64 $40.00
TOTL. LABEL 2.1 +CS VIC + 16K expansion $20.00
TQTL.LABEL 2.6 + CS Commodore 64 $20.00
TOTL TIME MANAGER 2.1 VIC + 8K expansion $30.00
TOTL TIME MANAGER 2.6 Commodore 64 $35.00
time management, scheduling, reports
RESEARCH ASSISTANT 2.0 VIC + 8K expansion $30.00
RESEARCH ASSISTANT 2.0 Commodore 64 $35.00
key word cross-reference research tool
TOTL.BUSINESS 3.0 VIC + 16K expansion $85.00
TOTL.BUSINESS 3.6 Commodore 64 $95.00
business programs require dlsl< and are shipped on disk
One Megabyte Fuzzy Diskette $25.00
computer novelty pillow
All programs work with 40/80 column (VIC) and 80
column (64) adapters — compatible with tape or disk
systems — shipped on cassette tape — available
on disk S4.00 extra.
Quality You Can Afford
Available at your local dealer
or by phone order
TuTL
software inc.
)/ -^ 1555 Third Ave., Walnut Creek, CA 94596
vl_ /l;^ ^^ ^^ Call (415) 943-7877
Commodore 64 and VIC 20 are registered trademarks of Commodore Electronics, Ltd.
The Midnite/PAPER
51
#13 June-July 1983
THE
PAPER ARTICLES
Article:
MIDNITE MUSINGS
Spirituality and the 64
by Herb Gross
work
red
Midnight (actually 11:00 P.M.) is my time to spend with the 64. My wife and
kids are asleep, my chores are done and there's nothing to worry about until the
alarm goes off at 6:30. I usually can't sleep anyway. I'm one of those whose
biological wake up time is from noon to 2:00 A.M. but whose life doesn't
that way. This means that there has always been time for hobbies am
eyeballs.
So last night I was sitting there in silent communion with my computer,
marveling at the mysteries of machine language. It struck me that never before
in my conscious memory had I been faced with such a "tabula rasa", this empty
screen before me. Here within the confines of this screen, I had the powers of a
creator or destroyer. Men using machines with less inherent power found
mathematical analogs of the real world and designed the atom bomb. What could I
do if I wished?
I wonder how many people using computers for work or play all the time ever
take some time out for reflection in front of an empty screen. At your
fingertips you have immense power. What do you use it for? All you have to do
is turn the machine off and on again to create a clean slate, a new beginning.
In the rest of your life it may not be so easy; here
What is the most important thing you want for the rest of your life? Type
it in. You don't even need a word processor. A couple of REMarks will do.
Think about what you
could start the rest
program.
Writers often sit
something of themselves
experience. Facing a
feeling of immediacy.
ve written. Maybe you'll change some things. Maybe, you
of your life right now. It might not be that difficult to
and
on
blank
a
stare at
i t. Since
J piece of white paper, trying to get
I never could write well, I missed this
screen is similar. The blinking cursor gives it a
pressure to do something right away. Turn the cursor
lived with. Doing the wrong thing for you can't be.
off. The pressure can be
Take your time. Dream a little
In some sense, programming is just the art of
and undefined ability has nothing to work on or work
is known and operating within understandable limits
Sometimes the wrong limits are set and the program
hospital. People crash that way as well. But
defining limits. Unlimited
with. It is only when force
that it can be worked with,
crashes. I work in a state
you can always restart a
computer. .. .and thinking about that. .. .could help you restart yourself.
The Midnite/PAPER
52
Vol. 5 Issue 3 June-July 1983
BEGINNING BASIC
Screen Clear From Cursor
by James R. Pring
If you've ever needed to clear the screen from the current cursor position
to the end of screen memory, this subroutine is for you. This is very handy in
games where information on the lower portion of the screen in constantly
changing. The only requirement is a string of at least 40 spaces defined as LC$.
At the end of the routine, the cursor will be left at row 25, column 39, A
carriage return from here will cause the screen to scroll (probably not what you
want to happen.) Be sure to reposition the cursor immediately before or after
pressing RETURN. The only tricky part is line 9160 which restores the screen
line link table at $00D9 to $00F2 (decimal 217-242). If this is not done, data
PRINTed in the area just cleared will yield rather unpredictable results.
Although the routine was written for the 64, it should work equally well on
the VIC 20 as long as the POKE in line 9140 is set to the last location in*screen
memory and the screen line lengths are adjusted.
9100 REM ** CLEAR SCREEN FROM CURSOR **
9105 PO = POS(0) : IF PO>39 THEN PO = PO-40
9110 PRINT LEFT$ (LC$,40-PO) ;
9120 FOR X = PEEK(214) TO 23
9130 PRINT LEFT$ (LC$,40) ; : NEXT
9140 PRINT LEFT$(LC$,39) ; : POKE 2023,32
9150 REM * RESTORE SCREEN LINE LINKS *
9160 FOR X = 217 TO 242 : POKE X, PEEK(X) OR 128 : NEXT : RETURN
Article:
ADVANCED BASIC
Beware the POKE
by Garold Stone
A unique feature of the 64 is its use of addresses 0000 and 0001 to switch
addressing between ROM and RAM and control other functions like the cassette
recorder. Obviously, indiscriminate pokes to addresses 0000 and 0001 are not
recommended, because they may upset the delicate RAM/ROM balance or disable the
cassette recorder. Unfortunately, it is all too easy to inadvertently poke to
address 0000. 64 graphics and sound functions require a plethora of pokes to
bring them to life. A generally good programming technique is to set the poke
addresses equal to variables. For example:
10 AD = 53876
20 POKE AD, Value
This speeds execution and makes a program easier to read. The problem comes
if you forget to define a variable before using it in a POKE. Undefined
variables in 64 Microsoft BASIC are given a value of 0, so the result is a POKE
0, - and you're "out to lunch." Mistyped variable names may also produce a poke
0. Sometimes, the cassette motor will mysteriously turn itself on to warn you.
This was not a problem with the earlier model PET/CBM. Address 0000 held a
jump instuction for the USR() command. Poking to address would cause a crash
when USR() was called. But since USR ( ) is not used very often, such an error
usually went undetected.
The poke is not a bug in the 64. With the added power of the 64 come
added responsibility to follow good programming practice and make sure all
variables are properly defined. -Garold Stone
The Midnite/PAPER 53 Vol.5 Issue 3 June-July 1983
AirticlG'
LANGUAGES (PASCAL)
Waterloo MicroPascal On the Commodore SuperPET
by David Rine
Western Illinois University
Macomb, Illinois USA
USING MICROPASCAL FOR INTRODUCTORY PROGRAMMING ;
The University, of Waterloo MicroPascal (1981) in the SuperPET is an
excellent student work-station for beginners learning Pascal. Since MicroPascaL
follows the International Standards Organization proposal, it satisfactorily
covers language elements for Advanced Placement in Computer Science.
This interpretive Pascal with full-screen text editor, Waterloo microEdit,
and interactive debugger, Debug, lets the beginning student easily and
efficiently create and maintain program and data files. The screen editing keys
of the Commdore SuperPET very nicely support these manipulations. The
interactive debugger allows single-step operation, breakpoints and interactive
examination of variables at execution-time. When an error occurs, the system
automatically moves the screen cursor to the specific error for correction. The
screen editor also allows the user to include, within the current text file at
any point, other text files from disk storage, and allows limited word
processing. In summary, the implementation is more 'seamless' than some other
implementations of Pascal.
COMPARING MICROPASCAL WITH UCSD PASCAL :
First, MicroPascal is for beginners. It does not contain system/
user-defined library facilities, comprehensive graphics capabilities, string
functions, nor various language system options and memory management facilities
that are part of UCSD Pascal. However, a disadvantage of UCSD Pascal (for
example, implementations on the Apple II+, IBM PC, Commodore 8086, and TRS-80
Model III) is learning to use the three separate software tools of screen editor,
filer, and compiler. Some introductory students (1) spend too much time learning
them, or (2) become lost while using these individual tools to encode, store, and
prepare each Pascal program for execution. With MicroPascal, the average
beginning student would not become bogged down in lost time. Therefore, it is
recommended that UCSD Pascal be used in the second part of Pascal programming
studies, when more substantial software is designed and developed.
DOES MICROPASCAL SUPPORT ADVANCED PLACEMENT IN COMPUTER SCIENCE? ;
Unfortunately, MicroPascal does not go far enough to support some advanced
applications in later parts of the AP CS model course (curriculum) , such as
graphics, libraries of code files needed for large program projects, and word
processing programs. Also, the student does not get a good understanding of how
important software tools work, including compilers, library utilities, file
management, linkage editors, and assemblers. On the other hand, students in the
first part of the course may waste too much time figuring these different tools
out with UCSD Pascal. MicroPascal nicely overcomes these introductory obstacles.
I have observed teachers and students under both kinds of Pascal, on the
Commodore SuperPET and IBM PC, and have used the systems myself. I feel either
of these two Pascal implementations, MicroPascal and UCSD Pascal, when
implemented in a technically sound hardware environment such as the Commodore
SuperPET and IBM PC, make excellent workstations for learning Pascal programming.
It is not an endorsement for writing commercial/professional software, where
'seamless' and 'hidden' tools for developing software have a different meaning.
AND FOR THE FUTURE:
Looking into the future I would predict the following possibilities;
* IBM PC's will soon support MicroPascal, to complement their UCSD Pascal.
* Commodore SuperPET's may enhance MicroPascal with a powerful extension.
The Midnite/PAPER 54 Vol.5 Issue 3 June-July 1983
A software house will implement an extension of standard Pascal that supports
both features of MicroPascal and UCSD Pascal, companies will give users 'both
implementations' for the 'price of one', or they will design a new, improved
extension of standard Pascal that meets some educational market demands.
A new language in the Pascal-like family of languages will arise that meets new
standards of educational computing. Perhaps by ED-COMPCON-83 (October 1983,
San Jose, CA) we will hear more.
Article:
PET/CBM GRAPHICS
Adding a New Character
by Gerald Hasty
Gila Newsletter
I wished to change one of my characters for my PET 2001-32 4.0 upgrade.
First I needed the screen value of the character I wanted to change. By
printing the character and peeking the screen location it occupied, I found it.
I then placed a borrowed character ROM in an empty ROM socket. (This came from
my children's PET; they squawked for the two days it was down.) I multiplied
the previously found screen value, added the result to the base address of the
ROM socket in use, and converted this number to hex. Then I called the monitor
and made a dump made of the eight bytes, starting at the calculated hex
address.
To make the letter "K,
I drew a matrix:
and read locations $42, $44, $48, $70,
$48, $44, $42 and $00 to produce:
8421 nibble one
8421 nibble two
8421 nibble one
8421 nibble two
00000000 byte one
00000000 byte two
00000000 byte three
00000000 byte four
00000000 byte five
00000000 byte six
00000000 byte seven
00000000 byte eight
0X0000X0 byte one
0X000X00 byte two
0X00X000 byte three
0XXX0000 byte four
0X00X000 byte five
0X000X00 byte six
0X0000X0 byte seven
00000000 byte eight
This insures that I have
the right location and
character for replacement.
If I read the hex locations
backwards, a new character is
designed, giving me the eight
replacement bytes. I take a
2716 EPROM, the character ROM
and the replacement values to
a friend that can burn 2716's
for me. I exchange the
original ROM with the new
EPROM, and when I press the
key of the old character, the
new character is seen on the
screen in its place. IT
WORKS !
QUOTE ON THE COMPUTER INDUSTRY IN GENERAL ;
"If the aircraft industry had evolved
as spectacularly as the computer industry
over the past 25 years, a Boeing 767 would
cost $500 today, and it would circle the
globe in 20 minutes on five gallons of
fuel. "-Scientific American
The Midnite/PAPER
55
Vol.5 Issue 3 June-July 1983
64*?
What's for the
A product resource guide for the commodore 64
by Richard v. Mucci
• Over 150 sources providing products espe-
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• Over 450 entries of software programs,
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TO order write:
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3494 Chickasaw Circle
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Florida residents Include 5% sales tax
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TIRED OF BASIC PROBLEMS?
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RBPEAT-UNTIL
MERGE and SAVE Progcair Segments
Named PROCedures and FUNctions
IF-THEN- ELSE- ENDIF
WHILE-EN DWHILE
FOR-ENDFOR
Full Recursion
READABLE Programs
COMAL checks syntax AS THE CODE IS ENTERED, So you NEVER
have to find a syntax error when your program is runl
Products available:
THE INTRODUCTORV COMAL PACK;
THE COMAL HANDBOOK by Len Lindsay and COMAL on disk:
A complete description of all COMAL keywords and how to make the simple
switch from BASIC to COMAL. The disk tuns COMAL on all PET/CBH 4032 to
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137 example programs. 529.95.
STRUCTURED PROGRAMMING WITH COMAL by Roy Atherton:
An excellent introduction to programming and problem anaylsis with COMAL.
S24.95.
INSTRUTEK ROM BOARD: Plugs into any upgrade or 4.0 PET/CDH providing COMAL
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or 8050 disk. S14.95.
BEGINNING COMAL by Borge Christensen:
Written by the father of COMAL, this provides a sttuctuced
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COMAL GRAPHICS Board: Plugs into the Instrutek ROH Board and provides
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This ROM package is available only from us. For details of the
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Write now to set your CSM'^^'back in business:
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Note: CBM t PET are registered trademarks of Commodore Business
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DO YOU OWN A COMMODORE 64™?
IS SOFTWARE HARD TO FIND?
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A POWERFUL DATA BASE MANAGEMENT PACK-
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THIS ONE WORKS. FROM YOUR DRIVE TO ANY
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Over 1 50 different pieces of software
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The progran disk contains a 4040 version
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Also included is an abbreviated version
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The Instruction disk contains a 12000-word
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Software
ZAP! ■ Climbing the corporate ladder could be tun except tor all ttiat tailing paperwortt. This Hires arcade
type game allows up to 4 players to advance through each floor to scale the corporate ranks. Be careful,
It's easy to be ZAPPED! CARTRIDGE for VIC 20« $29.95
ATE-PAK Eight graphic games on tape with complete manual to explain gaming techincjues. For
VIC 20*
ONLY $24.95
Wonj Wizard For The VIC 20* ■ (Requires at least 8K memory expansion} A user friendly WORD PROCESSOR
with optional joystick control. Easy edit and string manipulation commands. Full use of function. keys.
Delete Word, Search functions and Full Justification. Use VIC 20'^' pnnter, or any Centronics compatible
printer connected to the user port. On Tape (supports disk). $34.95
Bomber Word - A unique graphic word game on cartridge that provides the full thrill of arcade action.
Complete with six modes of play options tor added enjoyment. Play against the computer or another
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Tic Attack A fast action arcade game on Cartridge that challenges all of your dextenty. Written in
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Dot-A-Lot As you wander through life collecting Berries, you happen upon some magical fruit. Pick one
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Triple Play Three games that are both fun and educational CROSSWORDS (requires at least 8K expan-
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Expand-O-Ram ■ 16K Expansion Board tor the VIC 20" with reset, memory write protect, full memory
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Universal Tape Interface & Duplicator - (Use on ttie Commodore 64"- and VIC 20"^ ) With this device, you
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TYMAC "CONNECTION" - A truly intelligent parallel interface for the VIC 20" and Commodore 64*' It will
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NOTE: We solicit hardware and software items tor the VIC 20* and CotJimodore 64 Royalties, license fees, or outright pufchases
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SO MUCH MORE FOR
YOUR64
NEW 8.4 VERSION OF THE
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CASSETTE
•Automatically resets colors. No poking
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• Loads into upper memory in just 80
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• Runs all CBM public domain software.
Expand
Your
Library
PET LOADER
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The Pet Loader/Emulator reconfigures the
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I ''.'.'.'.'!'.'.'???n
^
tr rTTTTTTTTTin n
I
^»
Spooling
10
Printer
Cartridge
Expansion Slot
C64-LINK
VL16
(future)
Cartridge
Mother Board
CP/M
POWER
And
PAL®
Other
Cartridges
Serial
Audio I/O
Switch RF Video Port
■ @1 1
Cassette Port
IEEE Disks
(2031) (4040)
(8050) (8250)
(9090)
IEEE Printers
(4022) (8023)
(8300)
etc.
1541 Drive
And
1525 Printer
or 1515 Printer
lEEEtoParallel
Interface
Parallel
Devices
IEEE to Serial
interface
True Serial
Devices
or VL3 Cable
to Parallel
Printer
or VL4 Cable
to Standard
Modem
Give These Expanded ^
Capabilities To Your 64 ^
>4\0
■if The ability to transfer data from any type of device to another (IEEE, Serial,
Parallel)
'A' BASIC 4.0 which allows you to run more PET BASIC programs and gives you
extended disl( and I/O commands.
'A' The ability to have several 64s on line together - sharing common IEEE
devices such as disl^s or printers with Spooling Capability.
-tr Built-in machine language monitor
A' A built-in terminal or modem program which allows the system to communi-
cate through a modem to many bulletin board systems and other computer
mainframes.
* Compatibility with CP/M.
Ctontact your local Commodore Dealer or RTC.
Copyrights and Tradamarkt
064 Is a fcopyrlght of Commodore Business Machines,
Inc. C64-LINI< is a copyright ot RIchvale Tele-
communications. CP/M is a registered trademarl( of
Digital Research. POWER is a trademarlt of Pro-
fessional Software. PAL is a copyright of Brad
Templeton.
OAK STAND-C64, VIC, Apple. Atari 29
Beautiful natural solid oak two-level stand. Rests on table
above computer. Holds disk drives/cassette deck, as well as
your monitor/TV.
KMMM Pascal ior PET/CBM/C64 $85
A subset of standard Pascal with extensions. Includes Machine
Language Pascal Source Editor, Machine Language P-Code
Compiler, P-Code to machine language translator for optimized
object code. Run-time package. Floating Point capability. User
Manual, and sample programs.
Requires 32K Please specify configuration.
EARL for PET (disk file based) $65
Editor, Asstnibler, RelDciter, Linker
Generates relocatable object code using MOS Technology
mnemonics Disk file input (can edit files larger than memory).
RAM/ROM for PET/CBM
4K or 8K bytes of soft ROM with optional
battery bacl(up.
RAM-ROM is compatible with any large keyboard machine.
Plugs into one of the ROM sockets above screen memory to
give you switch selected write protectable RAM.
Use RAM/ROM as a software development tool to store data
Of machine code beyond the normal BASIC range. Use RAM/
ROM to load a ROM image where you have possible conflicts
with more than one ROM requiring the same socket. Possible
applications include machine language sort (such as SUPER-
SORT), universal wedge, Extramon, etc.
RAM/ROM — 4K $75
RAM/ROM — 8K 90
Battery Backup Option 20
SUBSORT for PET/CBM $35
Excellent general purpose machine language sort routine.
THE WHOLE PET CATALOG $9
A two year 320 page compendium of the Midnite Software
Gazette for Commodore computer users. Contains 500 reviews
of commercial products, 700 education programs (reviewed
and organized by course), 200 reviews of free games, info on
over f 800 free programs, list of PET and VIC user groups, and
many pages of helps and hints.
$25
COMAL Package for COM
Includes software on disk, and Comal Handbook
SuperGraphics 2.0
NEW Vei^ion with TURTLE GRAPHICS
SuperGraphics, by John Fluharty, provides a 4K machine
language extension which adds 35 full featured commands to
Commodore BASIC to allow fast and easy plotting and man-
ipulation of graphics on the PET/CBM video display, as well as
SOUND Commands. Animations which previously were too
slow or impossible without machine language subroutines
now can be programmed directly in BASIC. Move blocks (or
rocketships, etc.) or entire areas of the screen with a single,
easy to use BASIC command. Scroll any portion of the screen
up, down, left or right. Turn on or off any of the 4C00 (8000 on
8032) screen pixels with a single BASIC command. In high
resolution mode, draw vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines.
Draw a box, fill a box, and move it around on the screen with
easy to use BASIC commands. Plot curves using either rec-
tangular or polar co-ordinates (great for Algebra, Geometry
and Trig classes.)
The SOUND commands allowyou to initiate a note or series
of notes (or even several songs) from BASIC, and then play
them in the background mode without interfering with your
BASIC program. Tbis allows your program to njn at full speed
with simultaneous graphics and music.
Seven new TURTLE commands open up a whole new
dimension in graphics. Place the TURTLE anywhere on the
screen, set his DIRECTION, turn him LEFT or RIGHT, move
him FORWARD, raise or lower his plotting pen, even flip the
pen over to erase Turtle commands use angles measured in
degrees, not radians, so even elementary school children can
create fantastic graphic displays.
Specify machine model (and size), ROM type (BASIC 3 or 4)
SuperGraphics in ROIVI ($A000 or $9000) $45
Volume discounts available for schools
NEW
VERSION 2
now for C64
fir PET/CBM Cimpntirs
FLEX-F I LE is a set of flexible, friendly programs to allow you to
set up and maintain a data base. Includes versatile Report
Writer and Mail Label routines, and documentation for pro-
grammers to use Data Base routines as part of other pro-
grams.
RANDOiW ACCESS DATA BASE
Record size limit is 256 characters. The number of records per
disk is limited only by record size and free space on the disk.
File maintenance lets you step forward or backward through a
file, add, delete, or change a record, go to a numbered record, or
find a record by specified field (or partial field). Field lengths
may vary to allow maximum information packing. Both sub-
totals and sorting may be nested up to 5 fields deep Any field
may be specified as a key. Sequential file input and output, as
well as file output in WordPro and PaperMate format is suppor-
ted. Record size, fields per record, and order of fields may be
changed easily.
MAILING LABELS
Typical mail records may be packed 3000 per disk on 8050
(1 400 in 4040). Labels may be printed any number wide, and
may begin in any column position. There is no limit on the num-
ber or order of fields on a label, and complete record selection
via type code or field condition is supported.
REPOflT WRITER
Flexible printing format, including field placement, decimal
justification and rounding. Define any column as a series of
math or trig functions performed on other columns, and pass
results such as running total from row to row. Totals, nested
subtotals, and averages supporfed. Complete record selection,
including field within range, pattern match, and logical func-
tions can be specified.
FLEX-FILE 2 by Michael Riley $110
Please specify equipment configuration when ordering.
DISK I.C.U. $40
Intensive Care Unit by LC. Carglle
COIWPLETE DISK RECOVERY SYSTEM FOR CBM DRIVES
- edit disk blocks with ease
- duplicate disks, skipping over bad blocks
- complete diagnostic facilities
- unscratch scratched files
- check and correct scrambled files
- recover improperly closed files
- extensive treatment of relative files
- optional output to IEEE488 printer
- comprehensive user manual (an excellent tutorial on disk
operation and theory).
Furnished on copy-protected disk with manual.
Backup disk available, $10 additional.
PROGRAM YOUR OWN EPROMS $75
Branding Iron EPROM Programmer for PET/CBM software for
all ROM versions. Includes all hardware and sofhvare to pro-
gram or copy 2716 and 2532 EPROMs
PORTMAKER DUAL RS232 SERIAL PORT $63
Two ports with full bipolar RS232 buffering. Baud rates from
300 to 4800. For PET/CBM, AIM, SYM
CBM Software
BASIC INTERPRETER for CBM 8096 S20D
PEDISK II Systems Inim cgrs Microtech available.
FILEX IBM 3741/2 Data Excliange Software available.
JINSAM Data Base Management System for CBM.
COPY-WRITER Word Processor for PET/CBM $1 59
CASH MANAGEMENT SYSTEM $45
Petspeed BASIC Compiler 120
Integer BASIC Compiler 120
CMAR Record Handler 110
UCSD Pascal (without board) 135
Wordcraft 80 or 8096 265
BPI Accounting Modules 280
Professional Tax Prep System 575
ASERT Data Base 375
Dow Jones Portfolio Management 1 1
Assembler Development 80
FORTH for PET now (or C64
BY LC. Carglle and Michael Riley $50
Features include:
full FIG FORTH modef
all FORTH 79 STANDARD extensions.
structured 6502 Assembler with nested decision
making macros.
full screen editing (same as when programming in
BASIC).
auto repeat key.
sample programs.
standard size screens (16 lines by 64 characters).
150 screens per diskette on 4040, 480 screens on
8050.
ability to read and write BASIC sequential files.
introductory manual.
reference manual.
For Commodore 64. or any 1 6K/ 32K PET/CBM with ROM 3 or
4, and CBf^ disk drive Please specify configuration when
ordering.
Metacompiler for FORTH $30
Simple metacompiler for creating compacted object code
which can be executed independently (without FORTH
system).
PageMate
60 COMMAND
WORD
PROCESSOR
by Michael Riley
ft 8 m^
Paper-Mate is a full-featured word processor for Com-
modore computers. Page-Male incorporates 60 commands to
give you full screen editing with graphics for all 1 6K or 32K
machines (including 8032), all printers and diskor tape drives.
Many additional features are available (including most capa-
bilities of WordPro 3).
Page-Mate functions with all Commodore machines with at
least 16K. with any printer, and either cassette or disk.
To order Page-Mate, please specify machine and ROM type.
Page-Mate (disk or tape) for PET CBM. VIC. C64 $40
SM-KIT for PET/CBM $40
Enhanced ROM based utilities for BASIC 4. Includes both pro-
gramming aids and disk handling commands
Commoilore 64
Hunter-Killer - Commodore 64 1 5
- authentic naval warfare game (complete with sonar)
Submarine Warfare (Clockwork Computers) 29
WordPro 3-f /64 75
Vanilla PILOT with Turtle Graphics 27
- also includes sound, ToolkiL joystick supporf
Commodore 64 Programmer Reference Guide 16
CCI Submanne Warfare 24
Laser Command 1 5
EARLY GAMES for Young Children 25
PETSPEED Compiler C64 120
CALC RESULT Spread Sheet Package 1 35
1000 Miles (Mille Bornes Game 9
MicroCliess 19
Adventure (disk) 9
Draw Poker 5
MAE Assembler - C64 85
Assembly Language Tutorial - C64A/IC 27
Abacus Sofh«are in stock
Synthy-64 music and sound synthesizer 26
Tiny BASIC Compiler 17
ScreenGraphics-64 adds BASIC Graphics 22
Victory Software for Commodore 64 in stock
Adventure Pack I (Victory Software) 1 2
Adventure Pack II (Victory Software) 12
Annihilator 16
Chomper Man 16
Educational Pack I 10
Grave Robbers (Victory Sottware) 1 2
Kongo Kong • 1 6
Strategy Pack I 16
TREK 12
215-822-7727
252 Bethlehem Pike
Colmar, PA 1891 5
A B Computers
WRITE FOR CATALOG. Add $1.50 per order for United Parcel.
We pay balance of UPS surface shipping charges on all prepaid orders
(add extra for mail, APO/FPO, air). Prices include cash discount.
Regular prices slightly higher. Prices subiect to change.
BUSIWRITER
BUSIWRITER A Honey of a Word Processor
Why word processors?
Word processors allow the user to quickly and easily create letters,
memos, notes, reports, term papers, manuals, poetry and any other writ-
ten Information using the memory of the computer as a pencil and
paper The computer display or terminal acts as a window through
which the user views the Information as It is entered. The outstanding
advantage of using BUSIWRITER Is that it acts not only as a pencil and
paper but as a perfect eraser and automatic typewriter
ECPS
aaa BaiaBiaiaBiHBia ebb ^ ^
For Commodore CBM-64
Commodore 1515, 1525, Epson, C. Itoh, Qume, Diablo, NEC Spinwriter, Starwriter,
Prowriter, Okidata, Microline, Gemini-10
And many more printers
BUSIWRITER The Queen Bee of Word I>rocessors
BUSIWRITER allows the user to quickly and easily make any number
of alterations to the text. BUSIWRITER will instantly reformat your text
and show you exactly and continuously how the final output will appear.
BUSIWRITER has more functions than any other known microcomputer
word processor With BUSIWRITER assisting In the entry of text, provid-
ing a 20 page memory and performing an enormous number of editing/
composing functions, the preparation of written data is far faster and
outstandingly more accurate than If It were prepared by hand.
BUSIWRITER With the Sting Removed from the Prices
BUSIWRITER 64 only $99.00 for the CBM 64
BUSIWRITER AVAILABLE NOW FROM YOUR LOCAL DEALER
(800)227-9998
FOR THE NAME OF YOGR NEAREST DEALER
California, Canada, Alaska and Hawaii please call (415) 965-1735
1
Skyles Electric Works
231G South Whisman Road
Mountain View, CA 94041
Europe please contact Supersoft, Winchester House, Harrow Wealdstone, England HAS 7SJ, Tel. 01 861 1166
Skyles Electric Works Presents
The VicTree "
. ..Leaves your new Vic (or CBM 64) with 42 additional commands.
. ..Branches out to most BASIC 4.0 programs.
. . . Roots into most printers.
New from Skyles: the VicTree, a coordinated iiardware and software package that allows your Vic
to branch out in unbelievable directions and makes it easier than ever to do BASIC programming,
debugging and to access your disk. And the new VicTree provides routines to interface the Vic to
the powerful CeeNet local network. 8kb of ROM — 4kb for the BASIC commands, 4kb for disk
commands and interfacing to CeeNet — plus 4kb of RAM for miscellaneous storage. Perfect not
only for the new Vic but also for the Commodore 64. Gnbelievably simple to use and to install, the
VicTree gives you all the additional BASIC 4.0 commands to allow most BASIC 4.0 programs to
work on your new Vic or CBM 64.
Now only $89. 95... or $ 109.95 complete with Centronics standard printer cable. (Cable alone
$29.95.) Available now from your local dealer or order through your Visa or MasterCard toll free:
(800) 227-9998 (California, Canada, Alaska, Hawaii: (415) 965-1735) or send check or
money order directly to:
Skyles Electric Works
23 IE South Whisman Road
Mountain View, CA 94041
(415)965-1735
FULL FEATURE MAGAZINE
»" CASSETTE
VIC-20 & C-64
GAMES
EDUCATION
REVIEWS
TUTORIALS
BUSINESS
UTILITIES
READY TO RUN PROGRAMS
#>'
5^*
\«
v#*
NAME: 1
ADDRESS
CITY & STATE
ZIP:
AMT. ENCLOSED
CIRCLE- VIC OR C-6if
CIRCLE - 12 6 1
1 YEAR (12 issues) $^^5.00
6 MOS. (6 issues) $25.00
1 TRIAL ISSUE $8.50
PEEK MAGAZINE
^11^5 BROOKSIDE BLVD.
CLEVELAND, OHIO
^^^135
poke into peek
[
I
Resources
A.B. Computers
B. Prouty
Commodore 64 Resource Guide-
CIR-KIT Engineering
Comal Interest Group
DataSoft, Inc.
Education Circuit, Inc.
Flynn's Business Services
Foxfire Systems (FoxSoft)
Gloucester Computer
Intelligent Software
Aardvark
Abacus Software
Access Software
Avalon Hill
Baker Enterprises
Batteries Included
Cardco, Inc.
Cheatsheet Products
The Code Works
Commander magazine
Comm*Data
Commodore U.S. & magazine
Connecticut Microcomputer, Inc.
Computer Marketing
DES (Data Equipment Supply)
Eastern House Software
French Silk
ADVER TISERS!
-6T
-58
-56
-29
-56
-47
-59
-56
-40
-20
-28
Micro-PACE Computers
Micro Ware Distributing-
Nibbles and Bits
Optimized Data Systems--
Peek Magazine-
58
10
27
64
Performance Micro Products 34
Richvale Telecommunications (RTC)-60
Skyles Electric Works 62-63
Software Intl. 57
TOTL. Software 51
Virginia Micro Systems 48
PRODUCTS REVIEWED:
2352 S. Commerce, Walled Lake
P.O. Box 7211, Grand Rapids
925 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City
4517 Harford Rd. , Baltimore
15 Windsor Dr. , Atco
71 McCaul
MI 48088
MI 49510
UT 84105
MD 21214
NJ 08004
St., Toronto ONT M5T 2X1 CANADA
313 Mathewson, Wichita KS 67214
P.O. Box 8299, Pittsburgh PA
P.O. Box 550, Goleta CA
P.O. Box 98827, Tacoma WA
P.O. Box 325, 320 Summit Av. , Milford MI
The Meadows, 487 Devon Park Rd., Devon PA
(CMC) 36 Del Mar Drive, Brookfield CT
300 W. Marlton Pike, Cherry Hill NJ
8315 Firestone Blvd. Downey CA
3239 Linda Dr., Winston-Salem NC
P.O. Box 207, Cannon Falls
MN
CA
TX
CA
15218
93116
98498
48042
19087
06804
08002
90241
27106
55009
92669
77088
90066
Gait's Educational Computer Consultants, 4418 E. Chapman Av,S#188, Orange
Hardcopy c/o John Walker, 8737 Wildforest, Houston
Human Engineered Software (HES) 71 Park Lane, Brisbane
ICPUG Newsl. ,J.Cohen,30 Brancaster Rd, Newbury Park, Ilford, Essex IG2 7EP ENGLAND
Image Software 3678 Nicole Las Vegas NV 89120
Journal/20 Box 1149, Van Alstyne TX
Management Accountability Group (MAG), Box 346,493 E. Clayton St, Athens GA
Metaresearch Inc. 1100 S.E. Woodward, Portland OR
Micro-Spec Ltd. P.O. Box 863085, Piano TX
Micro Ware Distributing Inc. 1342 B Rt. 23, Butler NJ
Micro World Electronix 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd,#C105, Lakewood CO
Sierra On-Line (Vision) Sierra On-Line Building, Coarsegold CA
Progressive Peripherals & Software 6340 W. Mississippi Av. , Lakewood CO
Public Domain, Inc. 5025 S. Rangeline Rd. , West Milton
Rainbow Computer Corporation
Selectone Computer Products Division
Small Systems Engineering
SoftPlus
Solidus International, Suite 6,144 W.
Timeworks, Inc.
United Microware Industries (UMI)
VIC NIC NEWS
Victory Software Corp.
490 Lancaster Av. , Frazer
28301 Industrial Blvd., Hayward
1056 Elwell Cout, Palo Alto
2818 University Dr., Lawrence
OH
PA
CA
CA
KS
75095
30603
97202
75086
07405
80227
93614
80226
45383
19355
94545
94303
66044
15th St, North Vancouver BC V7M 1R5 CANADA
405 Lake Cook Road, Deerfield IL 60015
3431-H Temple Av. , Pomona CA 91768
Box 981, Salem NH 03079
7 Valley Brook Rd., Paoli PA 19301
The Midnite/PAPER
65
June-July 1983
MIDNITE XPRESS NOTES
THE MIDNITE SOFTWARE GAZETTE
Midnite Meanderings, by Jim Strasma 1
Advertising Notes 2
ATUG Notes, by Ellen Strasma 3
COMAL Notes, by Len Lindsay 3
CBM/PET Programming Notes, by Jerry Key-4
Commodore 64 Notes, by Ken Penny- 5
Commodore Notes 8
Competitors Notes 9
Copyright Notes 10
Dealer Notes 10
Discount Notes
Disk Notes
Education Notes
Missing Notes —
Modem Notes, by
Printer Notes
Reader Questions
User Group Notes
VIC 20 Notes
Want Ads and Answers
Tim Tremmel
and Comments-
■12
■12
-13
-14
-14
-16
-17
-19
-21
-22
REVIEWS
CBM/PET COMMODORE 64 VIC 20
Assembler Reviews 45
Book Reviews 24 4 5
Business Reviews 24 30 46
Compiler Reviews 3 3 47
Education Reviews 34
Game Reviews 35 4 8
Ham Radio Reviews 48
Hardware Reviews 26 41 49
Magazine Reviews 28 50
Modem Reviews 28 4 3
Music Reviews 43
Science Reviews 29 4 3 50
Utility Reviews 29 44 50
THE PAPER
ARTICLES
MIDNITE MUSINGS:
BEGINNING BASIC:
ADVANCED BASIC:
LANGUAGE (PASCAL)
CBM/PET GRAPHICS: Adding a New Character, by Gerald Hasty-
Spirituality on the 64, by Herb Gross
Screen Clear From Cursor, by James R. Pring
Beware the POKE 0, by Garold Stone
Waterloo MicroPascal on the SuperPET, by David
52
53
53
Rine 54
55
RESOURCES
ADVERTISEMENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS-
Inside Back Cover
-Inside Front Cover, 8 , 10, 20, 27 , 28 , 29 , 34 , 40, 48 , 51 , 56-64
Back Cover
The Midnite/PAPER is published bi-monthly by Midnite Software, Inc.
Price: $20 US per year (individuals)
$20 US per 10 copies (groups)
($25 CDN;$30 surf, $40 air overseas)
Send orders to:
635 Maple
Mt. Zion IL 62549
217/864-5320
The Midnite/PAPER
#13 or Vol.5 Issue 3
June-July 1983
Live Music
Archive
Librivox
Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland
Museum of Art
Internet
Arcade
Console Living Room
Open Library
American
Libraries
TV News
Understanding
9/11